Nowadays, building and dismantling rafts is not only a simple profession for people in the Mekong Delta. This tradition is also being preserved and promoted by many local people to create unique products for tourists.
Mr. Le Minh Ty - the owner of Tu Ty stop, in Rach Goc town, Ngoc Hien district, Ca Mau province - is the one who exploits more than 7 hectares of shrimp ponds combined with forest planting for tourism. Here, visitors can experience fishing for mudskippers, crabs, clams and snails and especially join farmers in setting up nets and removing fishing traps.
The piles of bamboo are made from branches of mangrove trees and agarwood trees available in the shrimp ponds. The people who plant the bamboo piles choose quiet places with deep water to attract shrimp and fish to take shelter.
After about 2 months, fish and shrimp will return in large numbers. At this time, tourist groups are divided into groups of 4 to 5 people to help locals dismantle the fishing nets.
To prevent the fish from escaping, people will spread nets around the pile of palm trees before dismantling them. At the same time, the person dismantling the palm trees will stir up mud or throw mud into the water to make it cloudy. The fish cannot see them so they hide in the tree roots. At this time, by following the tree roots and palm branches to grope, the farmer will catch more fish.
Mr. Nguyen Phat Trien - a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City - shared: "It's been a long time since I've been back to Ca Mau to participate in removing fishing nets. This reminds me of my childhood."
To catch fish, visitors need certain skills, or at least follow the instructions of the owner of the fish farm. Because brown fish and catfish are species with spines. Visitors with little farming experience, afraid of being pricked by the spines of fish... can go to remove nets and look for clams.
Mr. Le Trung Nguyen - a local who guides tourists in removing the bamboo sedge - said: "I inform tourists that in the bamboo sedge there are brown fish and catfish, they have sharp spines, so when catching them, you have to be gentle to avoid getting stabbed in the hand."
In Mr. Ty's natural shrimp pond, there are hundreds of scattered piles of palm trees, meeting the needs of visitors from near and far.
During the sessions of joining the locals in removing the fishing nets, tourists will recognize the characteristics of fish species in the mangrove area, know which areas have fish, shrimp, crabs... Finally, the spoils of war can be a few kilos of brown fish or catfish.
If you are lucky, you can catch more crabs, shrimps, and clams to make your favorite dishes. This way of catching fish will help select the big fish, while the small ones will be released.
The tradition of removing bamboo slats not only preserves the community's cultural features but also creates livelihoods and improves the material life of the people, while contributing to diversifying local tourism products.
