A couple from Song Ma River went to Gia Lai to fish in Ba River, unexpectedly they caught so many huge goby fish.

Struggling to make a living

Born in a poor countryside on the banks of the Ma River (Thanh Hoa province), Duc always harbored the dream of changing his life. During a visit to relatives in Ayun Pa town ( Gia Lai province), he decided to go to the Central Highlands to start a business.

He confided: “In the countryside, I worked as a construction worker and then in a stone art workshop, but the work was sometimes available and sometimes not. My family did not have a garden, so I decided to move the whole family to Gia Lai to live.

At that time, the eldest son was only 2 years old, but the couple agreed to build a life in the new land so they carried each other here.

With little capital, Duc and his wife could only buy a small piece of land. On that land, he built 6 wooden pillars, covered with corrugated iron on top, and surrounded by simple tarpaulins to make a place for the family to live.

Every time it rained heavily and the wind was strong, the house was tilted and could not withstand the gusts of wind. One time in the middle of the night, a strong wind blew the roof off the house, leaving the couple and their young child stranded in the rain and wind.

Many times when they were hungry, the couple had to go to the neighboring village to beg for rice for their children.

The life of Mr. Duc and his wife is spent drifting on a boat up and down the Ba River in Gia Lai province to catch river fish, including the special got fish. Photo: Le Gia

Despite the hardship, they still decided to stay in the land of the river junction. After a while, they decided to subcontract a fish pond.

Every day, Mr. Duc went to herd ducks for hire, while Mrs. Nguyen Thi Sen (his wife) carried their child to cut grass for the fish. When they had some capital, the couple decided to open a restaurant. Life gradually stabilized, the temporary accommodation was replaced by a spacious house.

Just when life seemed to be turning a new page, Ms. Sen was diagnosed with thyroiditis and pericardial effusion. For months, the whole family went to many hospitals. To pay for the hospital bills, Mr. Duc was forced to sell the newly built house.

Once again, the couple fell into poverty and returned to a dilapidated house of about 20 square meters. This time, Duc bought a horse-drawn carriage to transport passengers. However, due to the small number of customers, this profession only lasted for a short time.

While Duc was still struggling to find a way to make a living, in 2012, the Dak Srong 3A hydropower spillway was built on the Ba River. He immediately thought of making a living by fishing. Since the spillway was built, the river basin has expanded, and shrimp and fish from the Ba River follow the water to concentrate in this area. Duc packed his bags and returned to his hometown to buy dozens of nets and build a small corrugated iron boat to follow the profession.

Attaching my life to the Ba River

Fisherman Nguyen Van Duc and his wife work hard with their nets spread along the Ba River in the Red Valley area in Ayun Pa town, Gia Lai province. Photo: LG

Growing up along the Ma River, Duc had never tried his hand at fishing. Therefore, when he chose this profession on the Ba River, he and his wife were surprised. Sen said: “At first, he had no experience so the nets were swept away by the water. Many times, the silt rolled back and buried the nets in the riverbed. My husband felt sorry for them, so he dived down to retrieve them, but they were torn and could no longer be used.

One day, there was a storm, the boat capsized, and my husband and I fell into the water. I was so frightened that I grabbed onto a water can, while he tried to swim and hold onto a tree. We failed, and left empty-handed, so my husband and I went ashore to work for hire. But after that, we were determined to resume fishing.”

Over time, they get used to the river and the water does not disappoint. From early morning, Duc and his wife row a small boat to remove nearly 80 nets. During the high water season, each time the net is pulled up, shrimp and fish are bustling, they catch dozens of kilos of goby fish, goby fish, shrimp, etc. During the dry season, they also collect 3-4 kilos of various types of fish and shrimp.

For a long time, the Ba River goby fish has been considered a specialty. “The goby fish in the Red Valley is more expensive than elsewhere because the meat is fragrant, chewy and sweet, and is very popular with diners.

Tourists coming here are treated to this type of fish by the locals, so the family sells all the fish they catch. Depending on the type and size of fish, the price ranges from 150,000 to 250,000 VND/kg" - Mr. Duc happily shared.

Thanks to his thrift and savings, he was able to buy a canoe to make a living. Thanks to this canoe, he and his wife have an additional job of raking mussels with a machine.

According to Mr. Duc, from around November to March of the lunar calendar, mussels from upstream gather in this area to find food. Because of the flowing water and abundant food, mussels in the Hong Valley are fat, meaty and do not smell of seaweed, so they are often expensive.

When the water is low, the canoe goes upstream to the Tul River to catch mussels. Every day, Duc and his wife diligently rake mussels from morning to afternoon, collecting about 400-500 kg. All mussels are purchased by traders on the shore.

Ms. Sen beamed with the spoils of war from a net with many Ba River goby fish. Photo: Le Gia

Fishing has provided Duc’s family with a stable source of income. Duc said: “Thanks to this job, my wife and I have been able to raise our three children to a good education. I have also been able to buy a piece of land and renovate our house, so we don’t have to worry about heavy rains and strong winds anymore.

In recent years, every night, my husband and I have slept on the canoe to unload the nets early in the morning. Gradually, we have become “addicted” to sleeping on the river with the cool breeze. Now, if we are told to go back to shore and sleep, we may not be used to it. We just like to stay on the river, floating and swaying like that.

Having changed their lives thanks to fishing, Duc and his wife are also very concerned about the Ba River. Sen confided: “Because of this profession, we never use electric shock to catch fish. When small fish are caught in the net, they are released. Currently, some people use electric shock to destroy fish, causing shrimp and fish to become scarcer. Perhaps many years from now, specialties like Ba River goby fish will no longer exist due to this destructive fishing method.”

Ms. Cao Thi Hoa - Owner of Restaurant 48 (Ngo Quyen Street, Ayun Pa Town, Gia Lai Province): "We buy all the got fish that Mr. Nguyen Van Duc and his wife catch on the Ba River.

Grilled, braised, or made into sour soup, goby fish is popular with everyone. Some people even order fresh fish to be sent to Pleiku City or Ho Chi Minh City.

We thank fishermen like Mr. Duc and his wife so that people coming to this area can enjoy the specialties of the Ba River."

Source: https://danviet.vn/mot-cap-vo-chong-que-song-ma-vo-gia-lai-danh-ca-song-ba-ai-ngo-bat-la-liet-ca-chot-to-bu-the-nay-20240921135715226.htm