These days, from early morning to late at night, on the Da River lake in the Bac Yen, Phu Yen, Muong La, Quynh Nhai areas, there is always a bustling sound of boat engines and lanterns operating to catch snakehead fish by fishermen in the lake area.
Ca Nen fish, also known as Ngan fish, milk fish, has a small body like vermicelli strands, transparent white, boneless, with chewy and sweet meat. The fish season usually starts from the end of April to the end of June, peaking around mid-May. This is also the time when many households along the lake temporarily put aside their daily work to focus on fishing.
In Tuong Ha, Tan Phong, Quynh Nhai, Chieng Lao communes, dozens of boats and many fishing nets operate overnight on the lake surface. Local people mainly use two forms of fishing: fishing nets and fishing nets.
With boat nets, fishermen use small-eye fishing nets attached to bamboo frames or iron frames placed in front of the bow of the boat and then run along the lake to scoop fish. Lamp nets are a form of using light to lure fish into the net in the dark night.
At about 3 am, Mr. Sa Van Sung, Xanh Vang village, Tuong Ha commune, started his candlefish fishing trip with a light fishing net on the Da River lake. According to Mr. Sung, candlefish are very sensitive to light, so just by turning on the light, the fish swim into the net themselves, without using bait.
At times when there is a lot of fish, each night I catch 3-5kg of fish, selling for about 150,000 VND/kg. This job is hard at night but the cost is low, and the income is also quite good," Mr. Sung shared.
And Mr. Dinh Van Thi, Trung Phong village, Tan Phong commune, said that his family uses motorboats attached with nets to catch snakehead fish on the Da River lake. On favorable days, his family can catch dozens of kilograms of fish, bringing a stable income.
Not only helping people in the lake area increase income, snakehead fish is also considered a specialty of the Da River because it can be processed into many attractive dishes such as crispy fried, sour soup, spring rolls, salad or fish salad.
Among them, snakehead fish cake is loved by many people because of its simple processing method. Cleaned fish is mixed with minced meat, dill, onions, spices and chicken eggs, then wrapped in piper lolot leaves and fried until golden brown, creating a characteristic delicious flavor.
In recent years, snakehead fish has become increasingly popular in the market. Many traders from Hanoi, Hung Yen, and Phu Tho come to the lake to buy and supply to restaurants and eateries.
Mr. Ha Van Hoang, Ta Khoa commune, said that each fish season, he buys several quintals of snakehead fish each trip from Bac Yen and Phu Yen areas to transport to the provinces in the lowlands for consumption. Although the output is large, snakehead fish is still not enough to meet market demand at many times. The retail price sometimes reaches 300,000 VND/kg.
Meanwhile, Mr. Hoang Van Thai, from Quynh Nhai commune, said that his facility purchases more than 1 quintal of snakehead fish every day from fishing boats in the lake to transport for consumption.
This year, the fish are quite uniform, beautiful, and sold at a good price, so fishermen are very excited," Mr. Thai said.
Cattlefish fishing contributes to creating jobs and increasing income for many households along the Da River lake. Along with exploitation, local people also raise awareness of protecting aquatic resources to maintain sustainable livelihoods.
