Every year, when entering the period from January to the end of April of the lunar calendar, the sea area of Nam Cuong commune (Hung Yen province) becomes bustling with the jellyfish harvest season. This is the time when local fishermen simultaneously go to sea, taking advantage of peak months to catch seafood, bringing in significant revenue in the year.
According to many fishermen, the jellyfish season, although only lasting from three to four months, is the "main crop", deciding most of the income of the whole year. These days, from early morning, boats are busy breaking the waves out to sea. At Cua Lan fishing port, the working atmosphere is urgent but also full of excitement.
Fisherman Nguyen Van Ngoi said that depending on the weather and each sea trip, the exploitation output varies. There are favorable trips, each ship can catch about 700 to 1,000 jellyfish, even some trips reach more than 1,000 jellyfish.
Jellyfish appear a lot this year, if the weather is calm and the flow is correct, the income is quite good. The fishing profession is hard, but the jellyfish season helps brothers have more income, so everyone is excited" - Mr. Ngoi shared.
Sharing the joy, fisherman Nguyen Van Lich added that the current price of jellyfish ranges from 15,000 to 20,000 VND/kg, especially large jellyfish can reach about 30,000 VND/kg. With large output, each sea trip brings in a significant source of income, helping many families improve their lives.
In the Lan estuary sea area, the atmosphere these days is busier than ever. The sound of ship engines, the calls for each other mixed with the laughter of fishermen create a vibrant labor picture. After each sea trip, jellyfish are brought ashore for preliminary processing, preparing for the next stages before consumption.
Jellyfish often appear in shallow water, only a few meters from the sea surface, so exploitation is mainly carried out by mesh method.
When discovering the jellyfish flocks, fishermen quickly cast nets to surround them, then the two people on the boat coordinated to pull them up with their hands. The work seems simple but requires health, agility and experience, because jellyfish are slippery, heavy and easily torn.
According to fishermen, jellyfish exploitation has high labor intensity. Each sea trip can last for many consecutive hours, workers must continuously operate under the sun, wind and sea waves. However, thanks to the economic value that jellyfish bring, everyone is enthusiastic about sticking to the sea.
Not only contributing to increasing income for people, the jellyfish season also creates jobs for many local workers, especially in the preliminary processing and processing stages after being brought ashore. Thanks to that, the coastal economy has also become more vibrant in the first months of the year.
Although there are still many hardships, for Nam Cuong fishermen, the jellyfish season is still the most anticipated time. When full nets are pulled up, it is also the time when joy spreads on each boat, adding motivation for them to stick with the fishing profession.
