About the Vam Nao River

At the end of the Vam Nao River bordering the Hau River

Through the golden age of the catfish

At dawn, from Binh Thuy islet (Chau Phu district), we asked for directions to the end of the Vam Nao River connecting to the Hau River. Following the dirt road to the riverbank, after a while we saw the end of the Vam Nao River. In the morning, the river water here flows slowly, and cargo boats and ships pass by quite busily. At the end of the river, there are fishing boats floating on the waves. Wandering around the islet, we met Mr. Nguyen Van Hanh (Bay Hanh, 64 years old), a second-generation fisherman who makes a living by fishing on this Vam Nao River.

When asked about whether the source of the catfish is still abundant, Mr. Bay Hanh clicked his tongue regretfully and said that the catfish has been "lost" for many years, the golden age of this specialty fish is no longer there. More than 10 years ago, during this season, the Vam Nao River was bustling with the sound of paddles and oars splashing water as fishermen went out to the river to cast nets for catfish. Currently, the river ports in Binh Thuy Islet no longer have the shadow of any boats or canoes following the profession of casting nets for this famous fish. "In the past, fishermen lined up to wait for their turn to cast nets for catfish. Every afternoon and evening, I cast 3-4 fish, weighing 7-10kg. Now it is not like before" - Mr. Bay Hanh said in a sad voice.

Pointing down at the clear water, Mr. Bay Hanh affirmed that this is the season when the silver pomfret fish return to the Vam Nao River. From here, they find anchovies to eat, then swim upstream to spawn. Understanding the laws of nature, people take advantage of the opportunity to bring their nets to the river to catch fish. It gets dark, the whole river is red with lights and very crowded. Large silver pomfret fish come up, wagging their tails loudly. People set up nets for a few dozen minutes and then go to the river to remove the fish. “During the monsoon season, the water ripples, and silver pomfret fish swim up from the sea in schools. The main food of this fish species is ripe mangrove fruits that have fallen in saltwater and freshwater anchovies. Previously, thanks to this source of fish, I earned 2-3 million VND/night,” Mr. Bay Hanh recalled.

There are still a few fishermen who stick to the job of casting nets for silver pomfret.

Many fishermen quit their jobs

Nowadays, the source of anchovies on the Vam Nao River is very rare, many fishermen pull their boats ashore to quit their jobs and find other jobs to make a living. Mr. Bay Hanh said that in this whole hamlet, many people have given up their job of netting anchovies. Young people go to Binh Duong to find work. As for Mr. Bay Hanh and a few others, they stay and cling to this river. Currently, Mr. Bay Hanh has switched to netting anchovies on the river to sell for a living. Perhaps, being attached to the job of "auntie" all year round, Mr. Bay Hanh has become familiar with the nature of the river.

Recalling the golden age of countless fish and shrimp, Mr. Bay Hanh said: “In the past, this river was as big as a small canal. If you wanted to cross the river, you just had to shout a few words and the other side would row a boat to pick you up. Over time, the water flowed strongly, the river eroded and widened, and many giant fish species came to live there. Mr. Bay Hanh recalled that in the past, his father came from Bien Ho to live in this island village, where the population was sparse. At night, he went to the river to spread his net and caught countless catfish. Sometimes he also caught giant catfish and freshwater stingrays. He even saw dolphins playing in the river, but now these fish species are rare.”

Mr. Bay Hanh asserted that at the end of the Vam Nao River, bordering the Hau River, there is a very deep place of about 50m, where giant catfish weighing about 10kg still hide. In the past, Mr. Bay Hanh used to spread nets in this section of the river. At night, there were still giant catfish gasping for air. Because this place is too deep, it is difficult to catch big fish. Seeing the deep river with giant catfish gasping for air, a few fishermen came here to cast nets hoping to catch big fish, but were unsuccessful.

Leaving the end of the Vam Nao River, we took the Chua ferry along the rural road through My Hoi Dong and Kien An communes (Cho Moi district) to reach the beginning of the Vam Nao River connecting the Tien River. For a long time, mysterious nature has painted a masterpiece of the Vam Nao River connecting the Tien River and the Hau River. When the tide is high, the water from the Hau River pushes back to the Tien River. When the tide is low, the water flows back. The harmony between these two rivers creates the mysterious Vam Nao River.

The starting point of the Vam Nao River is very wide, one side is Cho Moi district, the other side is Phu Tan district, and the other side connects to the Tien River in Dong Thap province. Currently, at the starting point of this river, there are still more than 10 boats still clinging to the Vam Nao River to exploit fish and shrimp. The day we met Mr. Nguyen Van Thuan, who was casting his net on the Vam Nao River at noon. When the net just drifted to the river junction, Mr. Thuan quickly pulled up the net, we saw a large silver carp (bran fish) caught in the net. After removing the fish, he was very happy. Mr. Thuan picked up the fish and estimated that it weighed more than 4kg. Mr. Thuan said that this river is more than 6.5km long, at the starting point merging with the Tien River, the water flow is strong, and there are many big fish hiding. Therefore, fishermen come here to exploit and earn extra income.

The afternoon sun was slanting, we continued to follow the rural road along the Vam Nao River. The monsoon season blew gently, the Vam Nao River was vast, creating a peaceful, pleasant feeling. Nowadays, the Vam Nao River is no longer as fierce as before but has become gentle.

LUU MY

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/ve-dong-vam-nao-a421709.html