Under the top of Ganh Do Pass, a pass in Phu Yen that is as beautiful as a movie, whenever people catch fish or shrimp, they sell it all.

At dawn, many people row their boats from rafts to shore to buy food for the lobsters. People who catch fish and shrimp with basket nets also come here to dock to sell seafood to traders.

Crowded "basket market"

In the morning, Mr. Bui Van Nghia shook the basket by hand from the raft outside Xuan Dai Bay to Ganh Do wharf, then pulled the basket up on the shore, half in the water and half in the water, then walked to where many people were waiting for their turn to grind snails and crabs to make food for lobsters.

Fishermen gather their fishing boats at Ganh Do wharf, Xuan Dai ward (Song Cau town, Phu Yen province). Ganh Do wharf at the foot of Ganh Do pass in Song Cau town. Photo: MANH HOAI NAM.

A moment later, Mr. Nghia carried the basket of lobster food down to load it onto the basket. “Because I am raising a small batch of lobsters, I only bought 1500 kg of bait, whereas before I had to load 400 kg onto the basket,” Mr. Nghia said.

Not only Mr. Nghia but also dozens of people are going to the market to buy food for lobsters. Mr. Tran Van Tuan sat down to rest after loading 300kg of lobster food onto a basket, saying: Every day, at 6am I am at Ganh Do wharf to buy food for lobsters, then load it onto the basket and shake it out to the raft.

In this area, lobster cages are spread out, from the outside of Ong Xa Islet to the inside of Ganh Den. Among the cages that dock at Ganh Do, there are lobster farmers who have encroached on the deep waters of Vung La sea (Xuan Phuong commune).

From Ganh Do, if you ride a motorbike, go around Xuan Dai Bay to Trung Trinh intersection, down to Vung Su, Vung Chao and then to Vung La, it takes half an hour; or if you ride a motorized basket boat, it takes less than 10 minutes to reach Vung La.

Mr. Phan Van Tien, owner of a shrimp feed dealer in this area, said: Every day, there are 2-3 container trucks carrying lobster feed, each truck carries 50 tons of snails, apple snails, oysters, mussels... to supply shrimp farmers.

Every morning at Ganh Do Wharf, hundreds of baskets arrive to go to the market to buy and transport food to the rafts for the shrimp.

Collecting shrimp and fish after a fishing trip by people in Ganh Do, Xuan Dai ward (Song Cau town, Phu Yen province). Photo: MANH HOAI NAM

Inside basket, outside boat

Early in the morning, the boatmen crowded together to transport food for the lobsters, and when the sun rose, they went out to the rafts one by one. At that time, nearly 100 boats of the boatmen who fished in basket nets arrived at Ganh Do.

Mr. Thai Tam with his strong hands held the beam tied to the side of the basket and shook it back and forth continuously in the water to cross Ong Xa islet to the dock.

After pulling the basket ashore, Mr. Tam weighed the fish for the trader, then said: In the dry season, fishermen set nets to catch herring and hairtail; in the rough season, they set nets to catch shrimp and lobster seeds.

People who fish with basket nets go to the wharf at midnight to earn a living and return the next day. This season, I fish with many other people using gill nets. This is the main source of income for my family, each fishing trip brings in 400,000-500,000 VND.

According to many fishermen here, the baskets come in many sizes: large, medium, and small. Large baskets are equipped with small engines to save fuel, while small baskets have to swing their arms to surf the waves. In recent years, to make fishing easier and reduce the effort of shaking their arms, many people have invested in buying or upgrading from hand-shaken baskets to motorized baskets.

The big baskets are used by fishermen to “modify” their sleeping areas. They use two pieces of wood to attach to the sides of the baskets and at night tie hammocks to sleep. Thanks to this, those who earn their living from basket boats can go to sea every day.

In the past, without capital, fishermen only made small baskets and hand-held nets, working two days a week and resting one day because they could not bear sitting all night long. Fishermen using basket nets often caught herring, alum, mackerel... The fish caught in the net from the sea and brought to shore only took a few hours, so when they arrived at the market, they were still fresh and sweet.

This area has fishermen who go fishing by boat, setting up herring and mackerel nets at night. Although the income from fishing by boat near the shore is not as high as that of boats specializing in offshore fishing, it provides fishermen with a stable source of income.

On average, fishermen earn 500,000 VND per night, some nights even 1 million VND. Fishermen are proactive with their fishing, working on days when they are strong and resting on days when they are tired.

Ms. Bui Thi Hong in Xuan Dai ward said: The fishing boat goes out at midnight and comes back in the morning, the fish are still fresh. My family has both a basket boat and a boat. When the sea is rough, my husband drives the boat, when the sea is calm, he shakes the basket and casts the net. At dawn, I stay at Ganh Do wharf to help my husband sell fish and transport fishing gear.

Because Ganh Do wharf is crowded with boats, fishermen try to arrive early so their boats can have a place to dock near the shore. Those who arrive late have to dock far away in deep water and have to use "tang bo" boats to get to the shallows.

Ganh Do Wharf is home to hundreds of households around the bay, making a living by trawling, fishing with basket boats, near the mouth of Xuan Dai Bay leading to the sea.

According to the Economic Department of Song Cau Town (Phu Yen Province), the entire town has 6,760 boats and sampans of various sizes. For fishermen who cannot afford to buy large boats to go far out to sea, sampans are a means of livelihood that brings in income to support their families.

For small fishing boats near the shore, although it is hard work at night, thanks to this job, many families have money to cover their living expenses and send their children to school.

My family has both a basket boat and a sampan. When the sea is rough, my husband drives the boat, and when the sea is calm, he shakes the basket boat and casts the net. At dawn, I stay at Ganh Do wharf to help my husband sell fish and transport fishing gear. Because Ganh Do wharf is crowded with basket boats, fishermen try to come early so that their boats can have a place to dock near the shore. Those who come late have to dock far away in deep water, and have to use a "tang bo" basket to get to the shallows.

Ms. Bui Thi Hong in Xuan Dai ward, Song Cau town

Source: https://danviet.vn/duoi-dinh-deo-ganh-do-con-deo-o-phu-yen-dep-nhu-phim-he-dan-bat-duoc-ca-tom-la-ban-het-veo-2024070713402487.htm