Fishing during the rainy season and floods: Warnings from raging waters.
Heavy rains have caused rivers, streams, and canals to overflow and flow strongly, but in many areas of Nghe An, people still go down to flooded areas and spillways to catch fish. In fact, there have been fatalities while fishing during the rainy season and floods...
Despite the floodwaters, many people still risked their lives to catch fish.
In the fields of Ngoc Van hamlet, Dien Chau commune, floodwaters have risen in recent days, submerging many low-lying areas. Some young people are still wading into the flooded areas with nets to catch fish.
Mr. Nguyen Van T, residing in Ngoc Van hamlet, said that his group went fishing for tilapia in the flooded area with nets to improve their meals. According to Mr. T, since everyone in the group knew how to swim, they didn't need to wear life jackets.
Not only adults, but also children and locals can be seen fishing along the flooded rice paddies in Ngoc Van hamlet. More worryingly, in the Bung River area, where the water level is high and the current is strong, some people are still going out in small boats to fish without wearing life jackets.
Mr. Tran Thanh Giap, Vice Chairman of the Dien Chau Commune People's Committee, said that when heavy rains fall, water from upstream causes the water level of the Bung River and surrounding fields to rise rapidly. Local authorities have disseminated information, encouraged, and advised people not to fish during the rainy season. However, inspection and monitoring face many difficulties due to the large area and the fact that many flooded areas are far from residential areas.
At the spillway areas of the Quan Hai reservoir in Phuc Yen hamlet, Giai Lac commune, and the Xuan Nguyen spillway of the Xuan Nguyen reservoir in Dong Nhan hamlet, Quang Dong commune, the risk of accidents is even higher due to the strong current flowing over the spillway. Nevertheless, some people still wade in and use nets and scoops to catch fish.
A resident of Dong Nhan hamlet, Quang Dong commune, said that fishing during the flood season is mainly to improve meals; many people are familiar with the river and know how to swim, so they are not too worried. However, knowing how to swim does not guarantee the ability to cope with strong currents or sudden whirlpools during floods.
At the Ba Ra - Do Luong canal, in the section passing through Binh Minh commune, the water level is deeper than a person's head in some places. Despite this, some locals still bring nets down to the canal to catch fish.
At the scene, Mr. Le Van Tuan, a resident of Dong Thanh commune, was wading in the water to cast his nets. Mr. Tuan said that he takes advantage of the rainy season to fish in the canal to earn extra income, sometimes catching 3-5 kg of fish a day. "I don't dare choose places that are too deep to cast my nets because I know the floodwater is very dangerous," Mr. Tuan said.
There have been fatalities while fishing during the flood season.
Recent accidents show that the risks of fishing during the rainy season are not an unfounded warning. During the heavy rains in August, in just 5 days, from August 20th to 24th, two drowning incidents related to fishing occurred in Nghe An province, resulting in two fatalities.
In Nghia Khanh commune, Mr. LVB (born in 1972), residing in Nho Hap hamlet, was swept away by floodwaters while fishing in the Khe Da dam area.
These two accidents, occurring in quick succession, serve as a warning about the safety risks faced by people fishing in rivers, streams, canals, and spillways during the rainy season. When water levels rise rapidly, currents are strong, and unexpected whirlpools may appear, responding becomes very difficult.
Authorities and relevant agencies advise people not to go into deeply flooded areas, spillways, downstream of lakes and dams, or areas with strong currents to fish, to avoid unfortunate accidents.
