Nghe An: People enter the season of hunting for the 'miracle drug' oysters

(Baonghean.vn)- During this season, whenever the tide is low, people in the coastal areas of Quynh Luu go along the beach to pick oysters - a job that does not require investment but brings high income.

The tidal flat is where hundreds of hectares of clams are raised and developed by the people of Quynh Tho and Son Hai communes. Every time the tide recedes, the water level is about 3-4 km from the shore, which is when people harvest clams; at the same time, this is an opportunity for people to go to the sea to pick oysters - considered a "miracle drug" for men.

Quynh Tho people are in the season of hunting for "divine medicine" from the sea. Photo: Viet Hung

Mrs. Ho Thi Vien in Tho Tien hamlet, Quynh Tho commune is over 70 years old this year but still takes the time to go to the tidal flat to pick oysters to sell.

“This job doesn’t require any investment, we go when the tide goes down. Some days we are lucky, we can collect nearly ten kilos of oysters in 3-4 hours, after removing the intestines we can sell them for 700,000 VND, on normal days we earn 200,000 - 300,000 VND,” said Ms. Vien.

Starting from March of the solar calendar, oysters are in the growth and development stage, so most people wait for low tide to hunt. Oysters belong to the mollusk family, a family of clams and mussels that can eat plankton and other organisms in mud, sand, and seawater, so they often live in the sea, estuaries, and rocky rapids. To hunt, people often use tools such as a T-shaped iron hammer with sharp ends on both sides, knives, and packaging to store them.

Ms. Pham Thi Thang got 7 kg of oysters, earning more than 600 thousand VND after 4 hours of hunting. Photo: Viet Hung

Happy about finding a lot of oysters, Ms. Pham Thi Thang said that she alone collected 7 kg of oysters in 4 hours (from 12 noon to 4 pm). In this tidal clam farming area, oysters often cling to clam nets, wooden pillars used as clam watchtowers; the rest lie under the layer of sea sand, eating creatures to survive.

“For many years, oysters have been popular with people because oyster meat has many nutrients, especially oysters living naturally in the sea are much more delicious and nutritious than oysters in rivers and streams; therefore, oysters are purchased at high prices. After we collect oysters, remove the meat and sell them at the market for 80 - 100 thousand VND/kg; on holidays, the price is pushed up to 120 - 150 thousand VND/kg,” said Ms. Thang.

According to the locals, the oyster-hunting season usually starts in March and lasts until July. Oyster hunting depends on the ebb and flow of the tide; every month, the tide can ebb 8-10 times; sometimes it ebbs for 2-3 days before the tide comes back. Although the work is not too hard, the locals here earn a fairly high income from the sea. On average, people earn 4-5 million VND per month by hunting regularly; sometimes they get more if they are lucky.

Oyster meat removed from the shell costs 80 - 100 thousand VND/kg. Photo: Viet Hung

Currently, in addition to hunting for oysters under the sea, hundreds of households in An Hoa commune have raised oysters on the Mai Giang river to eat creatures in the mud.

Viet Hung