The cool fish are returning...

Obsessed with gold

Wanting to experience the changes on the summit of Pu Phen, we decided to make a trip back into the forest to Yen Tinh commune, a remote village in the border district of Tuong Duong. We went to see for ourselves, to find out if Yen Tinh was truly… peaceful or not.

EntranceQuietIt was once known as the most treacherous road in western Nghe An province, both literally and figuratively, with many steep slopes, sections of road clinging precariously to high mountain slopes, with deep ravines below, and many drug addicts unexpectedly... coming to visit.

Previously, from Hoa Binh town (now Thach Giam town), following the single road along the Nam Non River, passing through the drug "capital" of Luong Minh, and then turning downstream at the upstream wharf, one would reach the Xieng Nua intersection and continue north to reach Yen Tinh. Now, it is more convenient with the construction of the 534C bypass around Luong Minh, not to mention the paved road from Xieng Nua to Yen Tinh that runs straight to the Ban Ve hydroelectric reservoir area in Huu Khuong commune.

The shacks of the illegal gold miners were recently burned down. Photo: TĐ

Knowing we were coming, Mr. Quang Van Dang – Secretary of the Party Committee of Yen Tinh commune – had been waiting since early morning. Although he had only recently taken up his position here, Mr. Dang had a thorough understanding of the streams, river sources, and the turbulent times this land had experienced. From the center of the commune, the peak of Pu Phen was faintly visible in the distance, shrouded in mist. As if reading our thoughts, Mr. Dang sighed, "Now I only hope that peace will forever return to the land of Yen Tinh!"

It's no coincidence that for a long period, from around the early 2010s to 2017, Yen Tinh became a "territory" for illegal gold miners. A rough count reveals that at one point there were as many as 28 gold mines on the summit of Pu Phen, with 11 located within the Yen Tinh area alone. Some were small tunnels only five to seven meters deep, while others penetrated deep into the mountain, reaching 800 meters. Despite digging deep into the mountain, the gold miners didn't erect any support pillars or protective measures. Instead, to continue mining, the mine owners installed several generators to provide lighting, fans, and power crushing and screening machines.

Illegal gold mining is the biggest concern for the people of Yen Tinh in recent years. Photo: TĐ

At one point, hundreds of wind turbines with their black iron pipes plunged into the Chà Hạ river, penetrating deep into the peak of Pu Phen. The entire Yên Tĩnh area resembled a massive gold mining site. Many were licensed, but many were unlicensed – a veritable mine of bandits. The deafening roar of engines and rock crushers echoed daily, reverberating deep within the forest. The people of Yên Tĩnh could only silently gaze down at the muddy, reddish-brown Chà Hạ river, their hearts filled with regret…

To understand the root cause of the disturbance in Yen Tinh about 10 years ago, it's necessary to know that in the early 2000s, several geological teams surveyed and explored for primary gold deposits in the Yen Na - Yen Tinh area. Geologists subsequently identified gold mineralization zones and delineated them according to industrial criteria approved by the Mineral Reserve Assessment Council. According to the geological survey results, in the Na Khom area (Yen Na), two gold mineralization zones were discovered, measuring 160m and 300m in length; in Yen Hoa commune, a primary gold ore body approximately 280m long and with an average thickness of 0.7m was discovered and recorded. Similarly, in the Xieng Lip area (Yen Hoa), four quartz veins containing gold were identified, forming mineralization zones ranging from 80 to 2,000m in length and 100 to 500m in width. Forecasts indicate that the total gold resources in the Xiangyang region are estimated at approximately 2.21 tons.

After the illegal gold miners were driven away, the people of Yen Tinh went up to Pu Phen mountain to cultivate fields. Photo: TĐ

When these survey and investigation results were published, coupled with information that some households in Yen Na, Yen Tinh, and Yen Hoa communes had found gold while working in the fields, it caused..."thirst" for goldThe situation in this area has escalated to a critical point. In addition, several businesses have been licensed to explore and mine for gold, but few operate legitimately, while many bandits have flocked in to illegally mine, turning Yen Tinh into a silent battlefield.

Mr. Lo Ba Dung, the Party Secretary of Pa Ty village, recounted that at times, people flocked to Pu Phen to search for gold in droves, like a festival. Besides groups from northern provinces such as Thai Nguyen, Lao Cai, and Yen Bai who illegally mined, there were also some local people who followed along hoping to change their lives. But instead of finding gold, there were countless tragic mine collapses. Just recently, less than 10 years ago, Pay, a fifth-grade student at Yen Tinh Primary School, accompanied her mother to the ravine to pan for gold. After crawling into an old mine left behind by illegal miners, she was unfortunately buried and could not be rescued.

Mr. Quang Van Dang - Secretary of the Party Committee of Yen Tinh commune - in a remaining gold mine on the summit of Pu Phen. Photo: TD

Leading us halfway up Pu Phen peak, Mr. Dang gestured with his hand and said that illegal gold mining had been rampant since around the beginning of 2010 and had continued for several years. At that time, the district and commune organized numerous raids, expending considerable effort. However, sometimes when the troops finally arrived, all that remained was an empty shack. Machinery, food supplies, and even the entire gold mining crew had fled into the forest, hiding the equipment in holes and covering them with trees to evade detection by authorities. Just a few days after the authorities left, the illegal gold miners would return to their activities.

“A few months ago, we decided to burn down all the shacks and fill in some of the remaining gold mines, but there are still some deep mines that we can’t fill in yet. We’re afraid that in a few weeks or months, some group of gold thieves will come back to dig them up again,” Mr. Dang worried. Just last year, the people of Yen Tinh had to urgently submit a petition to the authorities to revoke the licenses of gold mining companies in the area in particular and the entire Pu Phen peak area in general. And rightly so, because if any company were allowed to mine gold, Yen Tinh would be devastated again as before.

The cool fish are back.

Yen Tinh can be considered the gateway where streams flow from the peak of Pu Hoat southward, including three large streams: Na Ngan, Soi stream flowing from Pu Huong, and Lap stream flowing from Cam Muon, all located in Que Phong district. After flowing to Nga My, they merge to form Cha Ha stream, which flows through Yen Tinh, Yen Na, and then down to Yen Hoa.

The village regulations in Yen Tinh commune clearly stipulate the specific times of the year when people are allowed to catch catfish. (Photo: TĐ)

Before illegal gold mining in Yen Tinh was eradicated, the environment in the streams and ravines was severely polluted. Especially during the process of digging, crushing, and panning for gold, many toxic chemicals were used by mining groups, including mercury, which was dumped directly into the streams and ravines. The Cha Ha ravine was severely damaged, riddled with pits and trenches; the water in Cha Ha was always murky, terrifying everyone, and nothing could survive there.

Then, after the illegal gold miners were driven away and the stream water became clear, the freshwater fish population was revived. Needless to say, the people of Yen Tinh were overjoyed to see the freshwater fish again.

Elder Kha Van Vien of Pa Ty village, visibly moved, exclaimed, "There's nothing more joyful than seeing the catfish swimming happily in our hometown stream after so long. It's like a harbinger of peace."

The "pa khinh" fish, known as "ca mat" in Thai, lives only in clean, flowing water and feeds on algae. Because it lacks teeth, after grasping a strand of algae, it must tilt its body to break it off. Under the golden sunlight of the borderland winter, in the crystal-clear waters of the Cha Ha stream, schools of "ca mat" fish flip over, displaying their shimmering white bellies – a delightful sight.

Elder Kha Van Vien of Pa Ty village thoughtfully watches the school of fish swimming playfully in the Cha Ha stream. Photo: TĐ

Since January 2021, after the return of the catfish population, the management boards of the villages where streams and creeks flow through have unanimously proposed to the People's Committee of the commune to erect signs prohibiting fishing. The villages have also established regulations on when fishing is permitted and when conservation is necessary. These regulations have been disseminated to the villagers and incorporated into the village's customary laws for implementation.

“A village charter, about 10 pages long, has half of it dedicated to how to preserve the catfish population,” said Mr. Quang Van Thuyet, Secretary of the Huoi Pai Village Party Branch. Following the policy, the Yen Tinh Commune Youth Union printed warning signs prohibiting the fishing of catfish and distributed them to the villages, which then placed them in designated areas of streams and creeks that needed conservation. Anyone violating the rules by using nets, traps, or electric shock devices to catch the fish will be severely punished by the village management. Of course, when the fish move outside the prohibited area, people still have the right to catch them.

Mr. Quang Van Thuyet - Secretary of the Party Branch of Huoi Pai village, said that fishing in any form is prohibited by sea to protect the school of catfish. Photo: TĐ

"That being said, when commune and village officials came down to explain to the people that the prohibition signs weren't meant to completely ban the fish, but rather to give the catfish time to grow and develop, and that once they grew up, the village would choose a day to hold a festival to go down to the stream and catch catfish, the villagers understood the meaning of this and wholeheartedly agreed," shared Quang Van Dang, Secretary of the Party Committee of Yen Tinh Commune.

Besides putting up signs, the People's Committee of Yen Tinh commune also informed the villages to disseminate information to households, prohibiting the construction of sanitary facilities and the discharge of wastewater into the stream for those whose houses are close to the riverbanks or streams. The aim is to keep the Cha Ha stream cleaner.

Leaving Yen Tinh, I kept humming the lyrics of the song "The Love Story of Chieng Toong," a song set to music from the poem of the same name by the multi-talented Party Secretary of the commune, Quang Van Dang: "Who has ever heard of this legendary land / The maiden Chieng Toong and Tao Khun Lu / Their love story has now become rivers and mountains / Yen Tinh has been transformed, now devoid of gold miners / The Cha Ha stream bends, changing its attire / Clear and gentle / The 'Pa Khinh Luom' instrument seems to be calling spring to come."