Cu Lao Thu is another name for Phu Quy, an island district in Binh Thuan province, about 120 km southeast of Phan Thiet city. It is said that the reason why it is called Thu island is because this is a fishing ground with many mackerel. According to the website of Phu Quy district’s urban center, in the 4th year of Thieu Tri (1844), Ha total was renamed to Phu Quy town. Cu Lao Xanh is about 24 km southeast of Quy Nhon city center, which is Nhon Chau island commune in this locality. Coming to the Green Isle, visitors can enjoy the unspoiled and peaceful nature of the island, explore the ancient lighthouse, the sovereign flagpole, the Small beach… Hon Co, Thao Phu, Con Tiger, Hon Me are other names of Con Co, now the island district of Quang Tri province. According to the website of Con Co district, the island has a special position, lying across the 17th parallel, is the southern gateway to the Gulf of Tonkin, has important military significance… Ly Son island district of Quang Ngai was formerly known as Re islet. According to Quang Ngai Geography, because this island has many ré trees, a wild plant species, the folk from there call it the name. From Sa Ky port (Binh Son district), visitors can take a speedboat to Ly Son island, explore interesting destinations here such as To Vo gate, Hang pagoda, Thoi Loi mountain, Be island… Monkey Island belongs to Cat Ba archipelago, about 2 km from the center of Cat Ba town (Cat Hai district, Hai Phong city). This place is called Cat Dua Island, because according to the documents, there are many wild pineapple trees growing on the island. Coming to the island, visitors can check-in with the monkeys here, swim, kayak, watch Lan Ha Bay… Cham island is Tan Hiep island commune, in Hoi An city, located about 15 km from Cua Dai coast. According to the commune website, the Cham island cluster includes Hon Lao which is a large island, and 7 scattered small islands: Hon Ong, Hon Tai, Hon Dai, Hon Mo / Hon Mo, Hon La, Hon Kho Me, Hon Kho Con . It has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve. Administratively, Hon Son is Lai Son commune, Kien Hai district, Kien Giang province, about 60 km from Rach Gia city. This place is also known as Hon Rai or Hon Son Rai. There are a number of different explanations for these names such as because there are many otters on the island, or because there are many otters on the island…

Old fisherman Nguyen Thai Son, Hong Thai village (Nghe An) is sad because the fishing ground is increasingly exhausted Sea story, job story Early in the morning, at Lach Con estuary (Quynh Phuong ward, Hoang Mai town, Nghe An), fisherman Ho Van Toan (63 years old, Quyet Tien village, Quynh Phuong ward) allowed the boat to land. From 12 o’clock the previous night, Mr. Toan alone went out to sea and caught more than 1 nautical mile from the river gate. Previously, he specialized in offshore fishing. In recent years, he “retired” at home, sad and sad, and remembered his job, so he bought a small boat of 15 million VND to go to sea. “Buy it for the old man with uncle!”, Mr. Toan chuckled and then began to remove the nets, in fact, scooping up the nets, to find the meager result he just had harvested. Mr. Toan laments: “Now the resources are running out, uncle. The ship pounded, scratched the snail (pull the grease snail), then the net bowl, the electric pulse swept, sweeping from the big to the small one. If you have eggs, you can catch them, you can catch them when they are born, then they won’t have the next generation. I am worried about how I will live on my own because I am old ”. After the trip to the sea, Mr. Tran Van Duc (Thang village, Quang Nham commune, Quang Xuong, Thanh Hoa) sat again knitting cage to fight crab. From March to July, the 8th lunar month, he caught crabs; in the remaining months, they were fishing for mantis shrimp and grouper. Mr. Duc said that before, there were many crabs offshore Thanh Hoa, but now they have to go fishing as far as Quang Ninh, Hai Phong. Mr. Nguyen Van Chung, head of Hai Thinh village (Nghi Thiet commune, Nghi Loc district, Nghe An) said that in the past, the village was isolated from the outside, women were rice farmers, men went to the beach. The village’s fishing grounds come mainly from Mat Island. “The fish in my hometown spawned in February and March of the lunar calendar. In the past, this was a quiet sea for them to breed, but now it is stirred up, mined, scratched, polluted, so the source is becoming more and more exhausted. My hometown beach is beautiful, unspoiled, many visitors love it, but now it’s all gone, ”Mr. Chung sighed. Marine workers are now mostly elderly people, some 70-75 years old still go to sea, while young people take care of other jobs in the four countries. Marine people escaped from the marine profession Every time he mentions the sea profession, Mr. Tran Ngoc Chau (72 years old, living in Thanh Son village, Nghi Son island commune, Nghi Son town, Thanh Hoa) is sad again. The “mantra” of the sea villager “if the sea can, I can” no longer seem to be ineffective. He said: “In the past, I pointed out that Nghi Son Bay had set up a trap and had eaten. As we go out to sea a little bit, we often say happily one day to work a month. But now it’s over!”. Nghi Son island commune in the past 100% of the people work in the sea. People here live and die by the sea, “the nose of the boat is guarded on the side of the house”. In recent years, the sea fishing has faced many difficulties, especially the catch has decreased sharply, so many people do not want to go to the sea, some ship owners have to “sell jobs”, which means selling ships that do not work anymore. With the opening of Nghi Son Economic Zone, many stable job opportunities have attracted seafarers. For example, a young couple works as a worker on average 7 million VND / month / person. This is a stable source of income, while the sea is precarious, when the husband goes out to sea, the wife stays at home “hanging the mast” spiritually. We went back to Dai Dong village (Cuong Gian commune, Nghi Xuan district, Ha Tinh province) to meet Mr. Tran Ngoc Canh, heard him tell him: In the years 1989-1990, Cuong Gian commune had more than 1,000 boats, up to now there are only 300 ships. . Now, there are only people aged 40 and over, even over 70 years old. The whole commune has 2,700 people working abroad. Labor export for high income, each month someone sends 80 – 90 million VND, especially someone sends 120 – 130 million VND. Someone had a “broken” lot, had billions in debt, went out of labor export for 3 years to pay the debt, built a 3-storey house. But there are also people 50 or 60 years old who still have to leave their homeland, some have gone for 20 years and have not returned to their hometown once. Having a family, the wife remembers that the husband had to visit, then went back alone. Now, at the parent meeting, the children can see the grandparents, and the parents are “busy working far away”. Mr. Canh suppressed a sigh: “Everything is due to food and bargain. If the fishing career provides a stable income, no one wants to live away from their wife and children or from home ”. The village is gradually “conquered” Central coastal villages, which are peaceful and pristine, have been gradually “invaded” by tourism projects, economic development; because the debt caused by the marine industry is getting more and more difficult. Hai Thinh village (Nghi Thiet commune, Nghi Loc, Nghe An) is hidden behind the mountains of Chuong Ga, Mang mountain, and Mui Co. In the past, to get into the village, there was only one way, along one side of the mountain and the other by the sea. This place is a peaceful and beautiful place with beaches such as Oyster beach, Chuoi beach, Lang beach … Because of its prime location, wild beauty, this place has attracted a large eco-tourism project. . But, from 2013 up to now, this project is still “stationary”. Mr. Nguyen Van Chung, Head of Hai Thinh Village shook his head in frustration: “If the ecotourism project of Thanh Phat Company (headquarter in Hanoi) was implemented on schedule, our village would not have been encroached on by cement. . The ecotourism project has compensated people for nearly 8 billion VND for site clearance, but for some reason it has not yet implemented. It’s very polluted now ”. The project not only pollutes people but also affects the fishing grounds. Every time you dig and clear the channel, people rake the bottom layer up, dust from cement grinding station, from digging mountains to encroach the sea makes fish and shrimp no habitat. Coming to Tan village (Quang Nham commune, Quang Xuong district, Thanh Hoa), we found many signs with full name and phone number in the empty land. The idea of ​​advertising for selling land, but good research, this is a way for landowners to contact the project owner of the resort when they come to measure. Outside the village, facing the sea, a new breakwater was completed. A group of villagers were drying anchovies, listening to me complimenting the dike for making a beautiful beach. A middle-aged woman said: “It is really beautiful, but I do not know whether to work for people or work for tourism project owners. This embankment has just been invested 100 billion by the State to break waves for Tan village because of wave erosion. But just finished, the owner of the tourism project also entered ”. In 2004, the family of old fisherman Nguyen Van Thuong from Dong village (Quang Nham commune) went to Tan hamlet and was provided with 200m2 of residential land. Before the last New Year’s Eve, when he was fishing at sea, he heard his wife call to announce that people came to measure the land and prepare to relocate. When Tet came, he found out that not only his house but also Tan village had to relocate to make room for a resort tourism project. Mr. Vu Hoang Anh, Secretary and Head of Tan village, said: “In 2001, implementing the migration policy, people in the inner villages of Quang Nham commune went to the wasteland where bordering the Yen river mouth and the sea to live. Up to now, the village has 180 households with over 700 people, 80% of the population working in seafaring. The policy of giving land to ORG Joint Stock Company for the implementation of the urban and tourist project has been popular since 2017. Although the policy has been 4 years, it has not been measured until January 2021. During the 4 years of being “suspended”, people were not allowed to build houses and welfare works. To be honest, we don’t want to go, because here is a large land, life is already stable. If the project is implemented, then deploy it soon, but living like this is so miserable! ”. Mr. Ho Xuan Huong, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Quynh Phuong ward (Hoang Mai town, Nghe An), said: Local authorities, central ministries need to have close coordination to implement the guidelines of the Party and House. on the strategy of marine economic development. For a long time, the policy has been in place, but the implementation to the coastal villages, particularly to each fisherman, is still lackluster. Along with that, it is also necessary to plan, train and form a force of good and modern fishermen, taking on the role of “living milestones” in the middle of the East Sea of ​​the country.

Video documentary by Huong Thanh The villagers of Cam Nhuong beach village (Cam Xuyen) called fisherman Le Xuan Tien an old fisherman with the charm of “hunting” goldfish because more than a decade ago, only Mr. Tien caught this fish in large numbers. In the first 4 months of 2021, the boat of old fisherman Le Xuan Tien has won 3 batches of positive goldfish worth more than 1.5 billion VND. In which, for the first time, Mr. Tien won more than 2 tons of positive goldfish on January 24, 2021; for the second time, on April 16, he hit 2 tons; 3rd time, he hit again 1.5 tons. Mr. Le Xuan Tien’s boat hit more than 2 tons of goldfish on January 24, 2021 In addition, in the first months of the year, fishermen Le Xuan Tien also won many fishing trips with a total value of more than 1 billion VND. Although he has just won a lot after many trips out to sea, with fisherman Le Xuan Tien, whenever the weather is favorable, he is busy preparing gears to go “hunting” sea buds. At the age of 57, old fisherman Le Xuan Tien still works diligently, labor productivity is always superior even though his boat is only 110 CV. Video: Mr. Le Xuan Tien shares about the ocean goldfish fishing (made in April 2021) An indispensable tool in every trip of old fisherman Le Xuan Tien is a fish detector (also known as a stealth machine) and a locator. In 2010, after seeing that fishermen from outside the province were effectively fishing thanks to fish detectors, Mr. Tien invested nearly 100 million VND to purchase these machines for fishing. Mr. Tien shared: “I think the success of sea trips is partly due to luck, the rest is due to my hard work, my love for my job and my efforts. Except when the sea is rough and the full moon day, we go out to sea every day ”. From the effort and hard work, more than 30 years in the marine profession, Mr. Tien has drawn for himself many fishing experiences such as forging his clear eyes that can see through the fish in the dark or during the day. The main fishing ground that Mr. Le Xuan Tien operates mainly is the area around Hon Buoc island, 2-3 nautical miles from the coast. This field is full of rocks and corals, so it is easy to tear the net if the fishermen are still skilled. However, with the old fisherman Le Xuan Tien, he memorized the topography of each area around here the fishing was also somewhat more advantageous. According to Mr. Tien’s experience, during a dark night, the goldfish emits a bright light like the light of a flashlight. That is also the reason why this fish is called with many names such as snakehead fish and rhubarb. At a distance of more than 100m, old fisherman Le Xuan Tien can see through yellow and yang fish. In addition to his skillful technique of catching fins and tattooing, he is considered by local people as the “killer” of fishes, especially yellow fish. Documentary photo Recalling the last time “met” a flock of yellow ocean fish, fishermen Le Xuan Tien and the crew members on the boat still have feelings of joy. Mr. Tien said: “As usual, at 4:00 p.m. on April 15, we went out to sea to fish in the waters around Hon Buoc island. At 2:00 on April 16, when I looked at the flashlight, I discovered a stream of fish swimming about 5 meters away from the boat, sparkling with bright yellow color, so I am sure it is a yellow fish. Immediately, Mr. Tien steered his boat around the area where the fish appeared in order to localize it, then teamed up with crew members to spread the net 300m in length and drop into the sea in an arc shape. After more than 2 hours of struggling, fishermen Le Xuan Tien and 9 crew members joined forces to bring the fish to the boat compartment. On this trip, Mr. Tien had to hire two more boats to transport fish to Con Go port. Fisherman Lai The Ha (Xuan Bac village, Cam Nhuong commune) – Mr. Tien’s crew member said: “Those who work as fishermen in Cam Nhuong commune all admire Mr. Tien’s skill. He is not only good at detecting and locating fish flocks and running streams, but he is also good at receding fin technology in rocky fishing grounds. He has clear eyes, looking at a distance of 100 meters that he can distinguish a red fish or a black fish. From the beginning of the year until now, I have earned more than 150 million dong from fishing boat Mr. Tien ”. Video: Fishermen Lai The Ha shares his income as well as his experience and ability to “hunt” for yellow and ocean fish (made in April 2021). It is known that from November 2020 up to now, fishermen Le Xuan Tien’s boat has had more than 40 sea trips and an income of more than 2.5 billion VND. In which, boat owners earned more than 1 billion VND; The remaining 9 crew members each earn an average income of more than 150 million VND. Mr. Le Xuan Tien is the only fisherman who has been able to catch yellow ocean fish after more than a decade of fishing in Cua Nhuong waters. The fish batches of old fisherman Le Xuan Tien are creating a great motivation for fishermen in Cam Nhuong commune to buy and repair more fishing gears, repair boats, invest in machinery to continue to rise offshore and stick to the sea. Chairman of Cam Nhuong Commune People’s Committee Nguyen Van Hung

The world’s most luxurious fishing yacht A fishing yacht model that combines elegance between sportiness and elegance. Recreational fishing has increasingly attracted new boat owners in recent decades, so firms are constantly rolling out larger yachts with lengths of 30 meters and possibly in excess of 40 meters. Against this backdrop, the Project 406 fishing yacht is a huge step forward, involving design and engineering challenges. Designed for experienced and passionate fishing boat owners, Project 406 is built for sport fishing and for the high-class life at sea. Divided into 6 decks, with Alustar aluminum hull and superstructure for greater strength, resilience as well as lighter weight, facilitating and efficient trips to the fishing grounds. Project 406 was developed to conquer all types of fishing, including foraging and marlin, that can be found in tropical seas around the world. The yacht’s naval exterior, interior and architecture were designed by Vripack Yacht Design under the crafting of the famous Dutch yacht builder, Royal Huisman. Overall, Project 406 is a model fishing yacht inside the guise of a luxury sports yacht. This is also the longest and largest yacht at the same time with a length of 52 m compared to other yachts of the same type, contributing to setting a new standard for yacht hobby around the world. It is expected that this yacht will be delivered to customers in 2023.

Bagan Sekinchan fishing village. Many fishing vessels here have small capacity, ineffective against changes in the fishing grounds. Photo: Hai Seng Huat wharf management agency. The small crane diligently carried each barrel of fish from the ship to the Hai Seng Huat wharf while the traders were busy choosing the right fish on the wet port floor. This sea trip was a big hit, especially for Indian mackerel. But with Chia Tian Seng, a 47-year-old fisherman in this area, there is still a worry in his heart. He and his three siblings, who worked together as fishermen, noticed that the weather was getting more and more unusual. With Seng’s seafaring profession, the weather will determine the effectiveness of each sailing trip. For 10 years of being directly in charge of a fishing boat, Seng has never seen an unusual wind and current like now. “Previously, in the main season, the wind and the water flow were usually very stable, now it is uncertain, very unpredictable, now it can hit like this, but it can also be empty,” said Seng. According to Seng, the changes in natural conditions also prevent the target from being caught. “In the past, the sea cases at the beginning of the year never had squid, it was only in the middle of the year, but from the Lunar New Year until now, my ship caught a few tons”. Seng’s brother, Mr. Hee, who is currently the chairman of the Fisheries and Fisheries Association of Sekinchan town (Sabak Bernam city, Selangor state) added that, for 2 years now, I have not understood why Indian mackerel is so much. Before fishermen hunt, it is rare, now every trip is available, so the price is not good. Fishermen He said that every trip to the ship owner complained that the team cost was too much. Vessels now often have to go farther and more winding than they can to see the flow of fish. According to experts, climate change is the agent that makes the marine profession change and more difficult. The waiting fish tanks were transferred to Hai Seng Huat jetty. Photo: Hai Seng Huat wharf management agency. Tee Kai Seng, a 27-year-old fisherman who has been in the ocean for 10 years, noticed that the fish were getting smaller and smaller, causing the boat to move more to get big fish. “Previously I earned at least 2,000 RM (about 11 million VND) to 3,000 RM, about this year no trip has been more than 2,000 RM,” he said. In addition, the traditional fishing area that Tee Kai Seng used to go to now has not many fish, making each voyage go further. The Malaysian government recently revised the law, extending the ban on fin net fishing from 5 to 8 nautical miles from the coast. In the narrow Malacca Strait, outside 8 nautical miles for fishing is very difficult due to the busy passage of ships on the world sea, and it is also easy to violate the anti-IUU fishing regulations when the Indonesian territorial waters are too near the. But Chia Tian Seng still emphasizes the factor of climate change that is making Malaysian fisheries more difficult. The former northeast or southwest winter time – from November to March of the following year and from May to September – is usually the time when the Malaysian fisherman is carrying fish. Climate change changes the fish seasons. “Sometimes going to the sea, the wind blows from all sides, so the fish can not be determined,” said Seng. “Sometimes 3-4 days in a row the wind blows in the southeast direction, suddenly it turns to the northeast, then changes again”, the fisherman who is now the owner of the Hong King Mooi fish bowl added. According to Mr. Mooi, the wind changes, the flow of fish is difficult to find, more dangerous than fishermen’s boats that are easily dangerous. The phenomenon started appearing in 2004, and has become more frequent more and more recently, according to fisherman Hee. Malaysia is one of the countries with a high rate of fish consumption in daily meals in the world. Some figures in 2016 show that a Malaysian eats 168g of fish per day. That same year, the Center for the Development of Southeast Asian Fisheries assessed the total marine fish catch in Malaysia was worth 2.5 million USD. Newer figures from the Malaysian Bureau of Statistics in 2018, the output of sea fishing reached 1.45 million tons, in 2019 it was 1.46 million tons.

Along the S-shaped strip of land with more than 11,409.1km of coastline, the livelihoods of fishermen are always very hard. Mr. Nguyen Gia Vien (An Vinh island commune, Ly Son island district, Quang Ngai – owner of the boat QNg-96111TS) is a veteran fisherman and has a reputation for “killing fish” of Ly Son land. Only 45 years old, but he has nearly 30 years of clinging to the sea, of which 20 years as a captain of a fishing boat specializing in fishing at Hoang Sa and Truong Sa fishing grounds and owns a fleet of three large-capacity fishing vessels. His grandfather’s life was associated with the sea, his father’s life was associated with the sea, then he also grew up from trips like this. Mr. Vien said: “In the life of our ancestors, we went to sea by small old ships but still reached Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. Their ships are bigger, more people are equipped with more advanced equipment, they must reach out further. Despite storms and storms, the sea still goes out to sea without a day’s rest. Behind me is the rear. Also the family and the country! “. To have sea trips like this, he has worked hard for many years, in 2000, he bought 3 ships to sail, officially becoming the mainstay of his family. A corner of Ly Son Island. “Anh Vien has a knack for finding flocks of fish, so he always wins. Many other boat owners complained about the loss of capital, but with photos, each year, a fisherman like me is divided between 40-60 million VND. He is also a boat owner who has a heart for the sea “, said a fisherman on the boat Mr. Vien said. Nearly 30 years of clinging to the sea, clinging to ships with dozens of times facing great waves to save fishermen in distress, the reward for him is to regain the fisherman’s life from the hands of the water god, glasses of thanksgiving with many certificates of merit and certificates of merit from all levels and functional branches awarded. Many people jokingly call him Vien “inoc” because he can swim and dive under bone-cold water for many hours. Mr. Vien is one of the fishing boat owners who should work in Ly Son. Each year, with 3 fishing boats practicing lead net, he earns tens of billions of dong. On board, he equipped with many modern means to serve fishing. Mr. Vien confided: “This ship has a capacity of 450 CV, so it only takes 17 hours to run from Ly Son to Hoang Sa. The other fishermen’s ships took 2 days and 2 nights to arrive. Having fish is happy but without fish is sad. Although it is extreme, you still have to stick to the job, you can also bear it with any hard work. Going to the sea not only does business but also protects the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland. That is the responsibility of our fishermen! ”, He said as the boat was turning its nose back to Ly Son island in the middle of dawn. And Mr. Tan, another fisherman on Ly Son Island, confided: “Life is tied to the sea, rich and poor are also caused by the sea. In the past, it only took a few laborers to go to the sea to support the whole family, now the whole family goes to the beach not enough to eat. But, if you are hungry, you must come out! “. The sea also gave him a high-rise house with expensive equipment, and the children were allowed to go to school. Mr. Tan also lends capital to many fishermen to buy fishing gear. To the people here, he is not only a brave fisherman but also a kind neighbor, a model both at sea and on land. Looking at the flag on the ship, fishermen like Mr. Vien and Mr. Tan all whispered that when they came to Hoang Sa they could understand how the national flag and soul of the Fatherland were sacred. It is the Fatherland Flag that has given fishermen the strength to overcome storms, natural disasters and human ears, firmly clinging to the sea. Every time of danger in the ocean, looking up at the flag is like seeing our Fatherland and our people by our side. Sometimes during the fishing journey, fishermen’s ships have to carry some national flags so it is necessary to replace as soon as the gambling is stained or the wind is torn, to ensure that the flag on the roof of the ship is always crimson. , fresh. The Fatherland is sacred, the Fatherland Flag is the place where fishermen reach out to convey their beliefs and dreams. Despite the storms and dangers, but for them, the Fatherland is forever! Ly Son garlic specialty. One man happily boasted: “Do you see our island is beautiful? Is it worth being called a tourist paradise? ”, We nodded, he went out in the afternoon very well. He said, the main job on the island is just growing garlic, going to the beach and doing tourism. We have seen travel stories. What about going to the beach? “If you don’t go to the sea on an island, you are not an islander,” he said. Here, most of them are followers of the sea career, some 4-5 generations already! The sea is one with us! ”. Then he led us to the old fishermen who lived a lifetime in the sea. For the people of Re Island (another name of the big island of Ly Son), doing tourism is a profession belonging to the “royal court” compared to the seafaring profession, but only a few decades ago, still before. There, from the old to the children, all use the bow of the ship to make a living. When the sun had reached the roof of the West slope, we were happily sitting and chatting with the elders in the seafaring profession of this island, the side of the rice tray was also full of marine products. The elders who are in the age of “tri heaven” tell us about going out to sea the day before and feeling cold in their spine. Because in the old days, boats went wild and could not be compared to now. They are mainly sailing boats with the wind, yet the elders reached out to the “golden sand” (Hoang Sa) beach to catch them. Old fisherman Le Luong (77 years old) takes a full sip of wine and leisurely tells the story of his voyage nearly 20 years ago. That time, there were 6 nets on the old Luong boat, each arm was nearly kilometer long, but only 5 people. When they discovered large fish schools near Hoang Sa, people hurriedly released their nets and then rested for midnight to visit the net. At midnight, 1 person stayed in the boat, and 4 people divided into 2 baskets, following the edge of the net. Regardless of the storm, no one can contact each other, trying to cling to the buoy to keep the boat from being blown away by the wind. The lights of the storm went out, in the middle of the night, we struggled to save their lives, each of us struggled with the storm, with hunger for a whole day and night, then old fisherman Le Luong was thrown into the sea, morning After being rescued by a friend ship in the sea … Quang Ninh. And the people on the boat with him lost their breath. After a few days on a friend’s boat, the old man bought a train ticket to Quang Ngai, then boarded the boat to the island. That journey took exactly 10 days. When I got home, I found that the fishermen’s relatives were doing the rituals for us. When asked that, the friend on a basket in the storm drifted into the estuary of Da Nang, then came back and announced that he was missing in the middle of the sea during a thunderstorm night. Therefore, villagers in the fishing village and their family perform a burial ceremony, build a doll and prepare to be a wind tomb. Whoever doubts the old man will return, rejoice in the suspicion of smoky incense that day. Then, after that time, the old man went to the sea with his fishing friends, but now he cannot remember how many more trips. There are many other stories of old fishermen sitting around us, which cannot be fully told. When the wine of the old fishermen is coming to revival, the sea of ​​dark clouds comes. No one told anyone, as fast as a squirrel, the old fishermen of that age had stepped on the rocky edge of the water, the piles, the people pulling the ropes, brought the boats close to the shore to avoid being hit by the waves. Mr. Nguyen Quoc Chinh, Chairman of An Hai Commune Fisheries Union – Ly Son shared about the work that the fishing union is actively doing to help fishermen of this island: “Ly Son is an island to spend money. Country. The only job of the people is fishing and seaweed processing. People for generations just stick with the sea because the sea is a source of life that brings a piece of rice and money to school for children to go to school. However, fishing also brings losses and grief that cannot be compensated in kind. However, the salty taste of the sea has seeped into every grain of land, the people here, so clinging to the sea is an unchanging belief! ”. On the island money spent Brave fishermen of many generations have passed since ancient times, despite knowing the danger always lurking in the sea, perhaps for them, the salty taste of the sea is part of the inseparable flesh and blood. the crashing waves on the side of the boat were part of a sparkling hope. So even though many generations have been permanently lying in the ocean, people still look towards the sea. Every year, on March 16 of lunar calendar, the people on the island solemnly hold a ceremony to honor the posture of Hoang Sa soldiers to commemorate and pay tribute to the soldiers of the old Hoang Sa Squadron who bravely sacrificed and forever lying in the sea. The people and authorities on the island district have built up wind graves and set up the temple “Am Linh Tu and the tomb of soldiers of Hoang Sa”, which is the place to worship Hoang Sa soldiers and soldiers, Bac Hai, and “witnesses”. live ”is an important historical evidence proving Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago. The fishermen on the island prepare to fish at night. Compared to other festivals of the fishermen in the Central region, the Hoang Sa soldiers’ stance ceremony not only stops at the value of spiritual beliefs, but above all is an opportunity for the children of the country to express their gratitude to the mother of the East Sea. . The strange attraction of the festival is not only its rituals, rituals, practices, folk festivals but also its deep community meaning and value. The hot sun dissipates in the gentle waves that clap against the white sand. In the distance, there is a glimpse of fishing boats letting go of nets. Currently, the population of Ly Son island is more than 21,000 people. They remain with this land from generation to generation. Not because of the temptations around but leaving the homeland. The people here are always trying their best to study, strive and bring their strength to the development of their homeland. Life here is also quite prosperous now. The 2-3-storey houses have sprung up, cable TV is used by many households, there is a school for children on the island to come to class and a lot of facilities are built to serve people’s lives. . The life of the residents here is no different than on the mainland, there are spacious restaurants, 3-star hotels to serve tourists, bustling music cafes, market for all kinds of hammer, but most still. garlic and seafood species such as abalone, shrimp and fish. Except for seafood, other items are priced higher than the mainland because of the distance by the sea but not too expensive. The peaceful night of the island, only the waves crashing onto the rocky rapids, like the lullaby of the ancient sea. The island crouched in sleep after a day of welcoming guests. In the distance, the light of squid fishing boats shimmering like flocks of fireflies flickering in the thick black sea. Standing between the earth and the sky and the vast sea like that, you can see that your country is extremely beautiful. I kept on talking about the vitality of people in the first wave. They are the lights on the sea of ​​money to spend, to keep the sea and sky the country for many generations.

Talking about Ha Tinh branded seafood, maybe Vung Ang dance squid is the top dish. Unlike normal squid in other seas, Vung Ang skipping squid is famous for being able to catch squid that is still swimming in cages, and still jumping in pots. The squid dance season usually starts from mid-February to the end of the seventh lunar month. The fresh cuttlefish are fished by skilled workers at night, stocked in boats with available seawater and then sold to restaurant owners on floating rafts. The squids are still alive when picked up from the seawater storage compartment. Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh – owner of a seafood restaurant in Vung Ang said, squid jumps best when picked up from the cage, washed so that the whole child is boiled, steamed beer or ginger warehouse. The sweetness and fat, the crispness of the squid is still fresh, making Vung Ang squid not mixed with other squid. The crisp, sweet, and fresh taste of Vung Ang squid is difficult to mix with the squid in other seas. For Vung Ang gourmet squid dance, salad is an indispensable dish in the menu when coming to floating restaurants here. The biggest, strongest swimming squids are chosen by the chef, removing all parts, only the body with transparent color to make salad. Squid salad dish served with herbs, special spices and sauces prepared by each restaurant makes diners pamper. Along with dancing squid, Ky Anh sea area also has a famous jellyfish dish. The fresh jellyfish was mixed by the people of Ky Anh with acrid flavored leaves such as leaves and dung leaves. These leaves are collected in the forest, washed, sun-dried, misted, pureed and then used to squeeze jellyfish to help the jellyfish become bright yellow, not stale. Jellyfish are marinated with dung leaves – a miracle dish of the Ky Anh. Photo: Thu Trang The preparation of leaves was meticulous, and the process of marinating jellyfish was also very meticulous. Jellyfish are separated from the body and legs, then cut into small pieces. Fresh jellyfish is pressed with watermelon leaves, crushed leaves for 2 days, then washed, continued pressing with dung leaf powder one night. When the jellyfish has turned yellow, achieving fragrant and crunchy is a successful jellyfish batch. As a typical folk dish of the Ky Anh people, but anyone who has once enjoyed the jellyfish sauce, jellyfish salad, jellyfish salad is hard to forget the crispy taste of the jellyfish, the pungency of the chili, and the fat. of crushed roasted peanuts and the aroma of the accompanying vegetables such as mango, marjoram, basil, and ham … The dish is rustic but enough to make people “fall in love”. Coming to the coastal waters of Loc Ha district, visitors will easily be “held on by the feet” by delicious opaque fish salad that is hard to resist. The meat is white and firm, and the opaque fish is favored by diners with many ways of processing, but to feel all the deliciousness of this fish, the salad is the best. The opaque fish chosen for the salad are fresh and delicious, neither too big nor too small, and their body still has sparkling silver scales. The fish is beaten clean of scales, head removed, gutted, washed to drain; use a knife to separate the flesh on both sides of the fish body. This meat will be marinated with lemon juice for about 20-30 minutes and then squeezed dry. Processed fish is mixed with onion, pineapple, green mango, sliced ​​carrot, roasted peanuts … Chisel fish salad in Loc Ha horizontal sea makes but fastidious diners also “fall in love”. (Photo: Tuy Phong). To make the fish salad flavorful and bold, Loc Ha people eat with a sauce made from nearly 15 different spices such as: lemon juice, minced garlic, purple onions, roasted peanuts, chili, herbs, fish sauce … This mixture is boiled, fully mixed with the sour taste, sweet salty. Fish salad wrapped in spring rolls of the same kind of water makes the most demanding diners also nod. For the first time to enjoy the opaque fish salad, Ms. Pham Mai Hue from Ninh Binh shared: “I rarely eat salad, but the time I went back to Ha Tinh to play, I was introduced to the opaque fish salad, so I tried it and was correct. is delicious. Next time I have the opportunity to return to Ha Tinh, I still want to re-enjoy that special dish ”. Hen Duc Tho is properly processed to keep its taste and sweetness from being crushed. ( Photo by Duong Chien). On the contrary to Duc Tho, the cool sweetness of La river mussels will certainly not make you regret it for tasting. After the flood passed, it left phytoplankton a natural source of food to help mussels flourish and have a characteristic taste, sweeter than other regions. After the mussel is caught, it must be soaked in water to release mud, pick up grit and trash; then wash and boil the mussels to release the intestines. When you boil the mussels, the heat should be high enough so that the water will just boil for a short time until the mussels open, but the meat is not tender. Both the gut and the shell of the mussel sink but the flesh is lighter than the shell. When the shell is submerged, the intestines will float on the surface, so just quickly push the intestines of the mussels to another basket. The taste of the mussel dish holds many children away from home. Hen Duc Tho is often processed into many dishes such as cooking soup, cooking porridge, stir-frying bean sprouts with rice cakes … Hen is a clean food, completely handmade and living in a natural environment, today, it has become a specialty in restaurants and hotels. Many people in Ha Tinh who go far away still cannot forget the sweet taste of home specialties, so Duc Tho mussel also follows people to many other provinces and cities. The delicacies from aquatic and seafood have contributed to the branding of Ha Tinh cuisine, hidden in which the cultural values ​​of each region are unique features that attract tourists from near and far.

Reaching off the epidemic season

Tens of thousands of ships along the coast of Vietnam are still stretching day and night to exploit seafood in traditional fishing grounds. The fishermen who go out to sea to stick to the sea not only make a living but also make living milestones, affirming the sovereignty over the sacred islands of the country.

At 5:00 a.m. on the first day of March, 2021, from Nam Du fishing port (An Son island commune, Kien Hai district, Kien Giang province), captain Le Quang Anh’s ship (Hai Anh) pulled anchors out to sea, heading straight to the fisherman. Ca Mau school – Kien Giang. This is considered one of the largest fishing grounds in our country because this area has currents carrying many plankton, along with a rich and abundant source of seafood. At the same time, this area also has a shallow continental shelf, many estuaries and tidal flats that are favorable for fishing.

The achievement of the sea after the tough nets.

On this trip, Mr. Hai Anh’s boat used ruffled nets. This form of fishing makes little disturbance to the benthic biota. Catched products are aquatic species with high economic value such as mackerel, tuna, herring … After 3 hours of breaking and reaching the sea, the boat has reached the traditional fishing ground and began to float the nets. Waiting time to pull the first batch of fish takes 4-6 hours. Captain Hai Anh and the crew on the boat took advantage of the nets to take a nap at night.

Seafaring in the South season is relatively mild, the wind is gentle, but thunderstorms are always sudden. Therefore, even though it is a “gentle” sea, the danger is unpredictable.

For nearly 2 years, the COVID-19 epidemic has been raging, affecting seriously consumption volume and price. Hai Anh ship’s seafood specializes in supplying 3 large restaurants in Phu Quoc. Influence of the disease, few tourists, and the restaurant was in a bad state, it forced prices down very low. There was a return sea trip, the price hit the bottom but the restaurant still could not consume it, the rest Hai Anh had to bring the termites to the fish sauce company at the “afternoon market” price.

The master “hears the fish”

Nguyen Xuan Thang (Tu Thang, 45 years old) has been a fisherman since the time his hair was still cropped, over 30 years up to now. Mr. Thang is a good “listening fish” hand that any ship wants to pull him away. After a sea trip of more than 20 days from Hai Anh ship, Mr. Tu Thang just returned home to throw the children fresh fish from the sea, took a few more clothes, then rushed to the dock to board the captain’s boat to scratch. Year of Singing. This time the rafting ship is expected to stay at sea for 30 days to return to shore, with crew of 8 people on board. The number of rake net is too small, the ship should have 3 more excellent fishermen, but they are stuck at Truong Sa fishing ground in Khanh Hoa sea.

Sewing nets, arranging nets to prepare for a night of fish hunting.

Scratching rake (also known as drag net) is a key fishing method of the fishery. The output of aquatic products caught by the drag net is estimated at over 50% of the total production. The fishing trawl fishery lives in the bottom layer, the seabed is relatively flat, the depth is usually 20-100m. The most important step of pounding depends on your ability to guess the flow of the fish. This is based entirely on a “listening to fish” player like Tu Thang.

The first quality of a person who “listens to fish” is to swim well and dive like a fish. With these two abilities, Tu Thang has been a “valedictorian” since the age of 20. On this voyage, Tu Thang’s boat prioritizes grouper and squid fishing. Grouper is known as a rare and high-priced seafood species. To hunt grouper flow, Tu Thang first had to dive into the sea, to find coral reefs and caves to explore. The grouper is an aggressive and very clever species, so it is difficult for humans to approach even from a distance.

Instead of looking directly at the flow of fish, Tu Thang will check the food carcasses of the fish left on the seabed and the smoothness of the rock cavities. Wherever the reef is cloudy, there is a lot of flora and small animals, there are grouper. Then, the diver pressed his ears to the rock niches to hear the water flowing around him. If the water is gurgling, then there must be grouper flocks around.

These signs, only experienced fish listeners like Tu Thang can feel. After correctly determining the flow of fish, the rake net will surround and sweep. The grouper, no matter how cunning and cunning, are still caught by “fangs” of pounding.

Mr. Tu prepares for the diving phase to find fish.

After each batch of grouper, the rake net is greatly torn by the sharp teeth and puncture of the fish’s fins. The mesh stitching takes a lot of time, requires meticulousness and patience. When night fell, all the sailors on board began to scratch the bottom floor squid. Like that, they worked until dawn the next day.

Every half a month, cargo ships will go to the fishing grounds to buy seafood. Trading on the sea is not like any other market, because both sellers and traders are fishermen for a long time, they understand the sea too well. They did not pay the price, what the price was, the seller just smiled and happily transferred the fish to the ship. The fish shipments are full, the ship is ready to donate to the collectors a few kilograms each, on the contrary, every time a failure, the boat buys happily “tip” more money tea.

After each transaction, the crew on the ship is immediately divided the remuneration. Their work is calculated according to the output in the form of “let’s eat together, lose together”. They can send money to buy to bring home or keep with them, have the opportunity to visit the island to refuel or shelter from storms will use the money to spend ashore.

The sea still sings the song on the waves

In recent years, the Kien Giang – Ca Mau fishing ground has been “poor” gradually. The fishing boats are more and more, so there is competition for channels and fishing grounds. The income of the sailors decreased gradually, so they went to search for a new land. Part of life is about life, but much of it wants to freely waving around in the vast sea and sky of the country.

Truong Sa, ever since has become a call of love tightly squeezed into the heart of every fisherman. Mr. Tu Thang said that at the beginning of 2021, he also had a trip to Truong Sa with his colleagues in the fishing village of Bich Dam (Khanh Hoa).

The trip in the fish-up season (the fish species migrating in the Southern waters began moving to the North), although hard and high-risk, made Mr. Tu Thang more excited. Because, the ship’s captain is the benefactor who saved his life 11 years ago in Truong Sa, when his ship crashed at sea. Remembering that night, Mr. Thang still choked. In those days, the boats went to the net, the fishing tools were rudimentary, but not modernly improved as now. The sea in June is relatively peaceful, on the mainland it is in the hot summer season, so no one thinks the night sea is windswept, such a terrible tornado.

The small ship is still standing in front of the ocean winds.

The ship was swept directly by a tornado, in a split second the deck burst into many pieces, the river-lamp fell into the sea, the side of the ship burst out, water flooded into the compartment. Only about 5 minutes, the ship rolled and turned upside down. Six sailors hugged plastic cans, tires plunged into the dark one-color sea. The cry for help faded away, weakened, then only the very light breathing of the exhausted people remained. Luckily Tu Thang was able to hold the tire, then he was too tired to fit into a small circle, trying to hold his arms and legs. The other brothers, holding onto plastic cans that could not stand the wind, let go of their hands, then sank into the seabed.

After eight famous floating uncertainties in the middle of the sea, at the dawn of the next day, Mr. Thang was now exhausted, and suddenly felt a strong hand grasp his body. When he woke up, he found himself lying in a warm blanket on a dry cabin, and turning his head sideways to find a familiar colleague on board the old train. Mr. Thang hugged you and cried.

So only 2 people were saved during that fateful trip. Returning to the shore, Tu Thang was taken care of by the family of captain Le Tan Cuong until the day he was well.

Tu Thang wanted to accept Captain Cuong as his brother, but Mr. Cuong just laughed, saying that Vietnamese fishermen from all ages are brothers and sisters. Mr. Cuong told Tu Thang not to be too fussy about the past, but to stick to the sea, love the sea and ready to help anyone in distress at sea. Because of that teaching, the love of the sea in Tu Thang’s heart is always deep, and in hardship remains intact.

Because of the deep love, but only Captain Cuong called out an hour, Mr. Thang was ready to go, leaving without a moment of hesitation. A year, Mr. Thang goes to Truong Sa beach at least 1 trip, each year at most 5 trips. The rest of the time, he returned to his hometown in Kien Giang, following a friend’s ship here and there, wandering in the sea.

The seafarers live by the pride and dignity of the man. Human love at sea is no longer a matter of debate. Because of that, many fishermen with heavy debt cannot leave the sea. Captain Nam Hat, despite turning 60 years old with nearly 50 years of fighting the ocean, is still firmly on the steering wheel before many seasons of rough seas. All his life, Mr. Nam Hat traveled throughout the seas from Hoang Sa, Truong Sa to the Southwest. Many times life was fragile in front of the ship, due to natural disasters and human ears, but he never wavered. To him, if he had to die on the sacred sea and sky of the Fatherland, he still stubbornly accepted it.