These days, along the coastal sandy area of Duc Minh, Mo Cay commune, Quang Ngai province, the atmosphere of labor is bustling since the sky was still foggy. The rice snail season (also known as ruoc snail, le snail) starts from January and lasts until the end of March of the lunar calendar, bringing hope for a prosperous "sea fortune" crop. Many coastal fishermen earn several million VND per day thanks to this small snail.
Duc Minh sea area, considered the "rice snail capital" of Quang Ngai province, has about 100 households temporarily putting aside fishing to switch to snail harvesting. Motorboats are therefore also changing their rhythm to go to sea, no longer reaching tens of nautical miles but only hovering a few hundred meters from the shore.
At about 2 am, when many houses were still in sleep, the boats parted the waves away from the beach. Rice snails live at a depth of 5 - 7m under the sand. The snail raking tool is an iron pole about 8m long, weighing nearly 30kg, one end attached with an iron racket to pull close to the seabed. The job requires endurance and flexibility, because each traction is a gathering of forces between early waves and cold winds.
Each boat has 2-3 people, one driver, the rest take turns controlling the poles. From early morning until nearly noon, the sound of engines running mixed with the sound of waves crashing creates an urgent labor rhythm in the sea. At about 11-12 o'clock, the boat returns to shore, snails are immediately sold to traders waiting. On average, each boat catches 300-500kg of snails/day.
Currently, rice snails are not sold in kg but are calculated in bags. Depending on size, the price ranges from 2 - 3 million VND/bag. On average, each boat grazes 3 - 5 bags/day. After deducting fuel costs, each worker can earn 2 - 4 million VND/day - a much higher income than normal sea trips.
Fisherman Nguyen Van Quyet, residing in Mo Cay commune, shared that going from 2 am is very hard, but thanks to the high price of snails, the brothers have motivation. Some people earn hundreds of millions of VND throughout the snail season.
This year, although snail production decreased compared to previous seasons, the purchase price is stable, and the output is guaranteed, so fishermen are still excited. The snail season only lasts about three months, but it is enough to bring an important source of income to hundreds of coastal households.
