Sardines - 'gifts' of the sea for Lam River

(Baonghean.vn) - In March, when the xoan flowers bloom, the Lam River is also stained with alluvium, signaling the season of sardines going upstream from the estuary to the Lam River.

Lam River flowing through Thanh Chuong district is considered the capital of sardines. Photo: Van Dien.

These days, Giang Thuy fishing village, Thanh Giang commune (Thanh Chuong) is in the season of hunting sardine. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Dung - Head of Giang Thuy fishing village, the season of hunting sardine starts from mid-January, lasts about 3 months and ends in the flood season. During this time, from 1-2 pm, the fishing villagers go downstream to cast their nets and at night is the time when most people are fishing. Along with the fishing boats on the river, on the shore, traders are waiting to take the fish to sell in the rural and urban markets.

The peak sardine hunting season is in March, when nets are cast from the previous afternoon to the following morning. Photo: Van Dien.

Mr. Trang - an experienced "old fisherman" of the fishing village said: "No one knows when the sardines appeared in Lam River, but the number increased about 4 years ago. Every year the fish upstream is different. Some years the sardines return in small numbers but the fish are big and fat. Some years the fish return in large numbers but are very thin. Experience has shown that the year when there are many fish, there is a big flood. Two years ago, to catch sardines, one had to go all the way down to Dong Van, but this year the fish have gone all the way up to Do Cung in Do Luong."

Sardines are easy to catch in nets. Photo: Tran Dinh Ha.

During the main season, sardines are abundant but one must find suitable fishing spots. For the people of Giang Thuy fishing village, this is the section from Ru Ha abyss to Ben Do Phuong because this section of the river is narrow, the water flows strongly, and there is no sand absorption so the net can drift along without getting caught in the bushes or sandbars.

Currently, the whole fishing village has over 50 boats. To fish, the fishermen line up in order, each time only 5-10 boats drop their nets so that everyone can enjoy the bounty of heaven. From one batch to another, the whole Lam River is always full of fishermen.

According to scientific documents, sardines are amphibious fish that live in the sea but during the breeding season they lay eggs in freshwater rivers. They have small heads and belong to the herring family, with long, oval bodies. Their backs are slightly green or brown, and their bellies are silver. Sardines eat algae, fish eggs, mosquito larvae, and small shrimp. Photo: Tran Dinh Ha.

Mr. Tran Van Tai is one of the lucky ones who always catches a lot of fish, some days he catches about 50 kg, some days he catches more than 20 kg. At the beginning of the season, each kg sells for 40,000 VND, but in the main season it is only 25,000 - 30,000 VND, but his family's income is still much higher than other fishing seasons of the year. "In season, sardines are caught in the net as thick as chaff and do not want to be removed. Three or four people pull a net of sardines, sweating. In addition to the economic value, hunting sardines is also a pleasure because sometimes they catch a large school of fish, at night when the net is pulled, the silver color of the fish sparkles under the lights, looking very pleasing to the eye" - Mr. Tai shared.

The good news is that sardines are appearing more and more on the Lam River, also because fishermen's awareness has been raised, not catching them in an over-exploitative manner. "A few years ago, sardines were as big as half an adult's hand. Because of greed, many households used electric shock to catch them. They killed 10 sardines and only recovered 3-4 because sardines sink easily. The next morning, dead fish floated in the crowded water. It was very painful to see. Fortunately, the government has done good propaganda so the problem of electric shock on the river has decreased" - Mr. Trang shared.

At the beginning of the fishing season, each kg is sold for 40,000 VND, during the main season the price drops to 25,000 - 30,000 VND but still brings in more income than other fishing seasons of the year. Photo: Tran Dinh Ha

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, a fisherman in Giang Thuy fishing village, during the spawning season, river sardines are fatty and have fragrant meat. Sardines have the characteristic that they will die as soon as they are removed from the net and do not live as long as other types of fish. Therefore, when choosing to buy, you need to pay attention to whether the fish's eyes are clear and black, whether the fish is refrigerated, and if the gills are still red, which means the fish is fresh.

"Sardines can be prepared in many ways such as fried, grilled, dipped in fish sauce, pepper, chili or ginger sauce, or mixed with minced pork belly, cooked with kohlrabi and green banana, and served with basil. Many people like to change the taste by mixing minced sardine meat with minced pork, then frying it and cooking it with green banana. This dish is very good for warming the body on cold days..." - Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong said.

During the off-season, fishermen sit around a plate of freshly fried sardines, served with Chinese coriander, purple basil, young mango leaves, and sip a glass of white wine... stories about catching sardines permeate the countryside. Photo: Van Dien

Fresh and grilled sardines are sold in many markets, but the freshest ones are still found at river wharves near fishing villages. Photo: Tran Dinh Ha.

In addition to Giang Thuy fishing village, fishing villages along Lam River are also bustling with the sardine hunting season. Sardines only appear in large schools on Lam River once a year. Usually, they are gone by mid-April, but this is a “special gift” from the ocean for the poetic Lam River. That gift needs to be protected and preserved for future generations.

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Tran Dinh Ha - Van Dien