Patch up the mess, patch up life

Members of the Vam Ray Hamlet Patching Team work together at the workshop. Photo: HUYNH ANH

After offshore fishing trips, every boat has a torn trap, more or less, so the boat owner often hires people to mend the trap. Since then, the job of mending traps has become a livelihood for many people in the hamlet. However, they do not work at a fixed location and do not work regularly. Gradually, the Vam Ray Hamlet Trap Repair Team was formed, with Ms. Huynh Thi Diep as the team leader. She shared: “To make it convenient for the boat owners and help the women have stable jobs, I took the lead, contacted the women with skills to form the team. At the same time, I connected the boat owners to receive traps when they returned to shore; rented a place to assemble the boats so that they could easily anchor, get on and off the traps; everyone focused on working to ensure efficiency, progress, and stable income.”

The trap patching team promotes the spirit of mutual support, solidarity, and mutual assistance in economic development while meeting the needs of local fishing and seafood logistics services. The members' work usually starts from 7am to 3pm every day. The trap patching is divided into 2 stages: Patching and checking, if there is any missing piece, patch it again; if the ring is broken, replace it, and if the rope is broken, reconnect it. This is an easy-to-learn and easy-to-do job. Those who know how to guide those who do not know, the job teaches the job, and practice makes perfect. However, to become a good worker so that the ship owner can contact them regularly, the worker must be sharp-eyed, meticulous, and sharp in each patch. To patch a trap for a fishing boat (from 2,000 to 2,700 traps), the team must patch for 10 to 15 days. The average wage is 180,000 VND/person/day. Working hours are calculated daily so members always have a sense of responsibility, support each other to complete the work early, deliver the boat to the owner on time, and maintain long-term business relationships.

The job of patching traps solves the problem of employment for idle workers, contributing to poverty reduction in the locality. Thanks to the job of patching traps, many women have jobs, stable income, and do not have to work far away. Ms. Truong Thi Lieu - a member of the Vam Ray hamlet patching team shared: "Before, I worked as a patching trap, whenever the boat owner needed me, I would call, but the work was not regular. My husband went to sea, I stayed home to do housework, so I had a lot of free time. For the past 4 years, joining the patching trap team, I have had a more stable and regular job, earning more than 5 million VND per month, contributing to covering living expenses." For Ms. Vo Thi Sang (74 years old), the oldest member of the team, this job is the main source of income. Ms. Sang said: “I have been involved in the net-mending profession for more than 30 years, and now I also work as a trap-mender. Not only does this job help me earn money to support myself and take care of my sick son, but it is also a place for me to meet people and share the joys and sorrows of life.”

Currently, Binh Son commune has more than 200 fishing vessels and nearly 1,000 regular workers. Recently, the exploitation and capture of aquatic products has developed strongly, leading to an increasing demand for labor. Along with the development of exploitation, capture and aquaculture activities, the development of fishery logistics services is becoming one of the important factors promoting the strong development of the fisheries economy.

HUYNH ANH - NGOC HOA

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/va-lu-va-lanh-cuoc-song-a462046.html