Nghe An fishermen in the sea dredging season

Early in the morning, when the tide recedes, many people in coastal communes such as Quynh Bang, Quynh Lap (Quynh Luu district) or Quynh Phuong, Quynh Lien (Hoang Mai town) are busy pulling the trawl on the tidal flats. They carry baskets on their shoulders, pull the iron frame in their hands, and take slow steps backwards to rake.

Dredging is a seasonal job, starting from the end of the fourth lunar month to around the end of August. Early in the morning, when the tide recedes, sea dredges, relatives of clams, cockles, and geoducks, begin to move around in search of food. The dredges are small, with opaque white shells, the largest of which is only as big as an adult’s thumbnail. Yet, for many coastal residents, they are a source of livelihood during the scorching summer months.

To harvest the fish, people have to go to the beach from dawn. The raking tool is a rudimentary “tattoo”: a rectangular iron frame, about half a meter long, with a sparse iron mesh attached to the back and a bamboo pole more than a meter long attached to the front.

The raker dragged the bamboo tube through the wet sand while walking backwards in the sea water. He carried a basket on his shoulder, tightly gripped the bamboo tube handle, his back was always bent, and his feet dug deep into the sand to maintain balance. Each step was a struggle to endure the waves hitting his body, a quick breath from fatigue, and a sore back.

Mr. Le Van Thach - a long-time raker in Quynh Bang commune shared: "This job looks simple but is very hard. Go early, when the water recedes the most, whoever is quick will get a lot. Raking for about 2-3 hours is tiring, but if you don't take advantage of the day, you lose income."

For the elderly, old women raking is one of the few options to make a living. No capital is needed, just good health and hard work, anyone can go to the tidal flats to rake. But not everyone can last long. Some people rake for a few days and then give up because of back pain and tired knees; some people do not know how to choose a spot with many rakes, and rake forever but only get a few kilos.

Although it is a seasonal job, dredging is still a significant source of income for many coastal households. Especially for the elderly and women who cannot go far out to sea. Every day, diligent people can collect 70-100 kg of fresh dredging, which can be sold for 300-500 thousand VND. The price of dredging is not high, fluctuating between 4,000-5,000 VND/kg, but having a steady income every day is also lucky for many families.

After being collected, the traders buy the guts right at the beach and transport them to the southern provinces such as Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen, where lobster and crab farms use the guts as food. Another part is steamed, gutted, and made into processed foods. Small establishments specializing in hiring guts also help create jobs for idle workers.

The shells after being separated from the core are not wasted. Every year, when the sea is rough or the wind changes seasons, many rocks are washed ashore, forming layers of opaque white shells that cover the sand. People collect them, dry them in the sun, and then sell them to establishments to make decorative materials and flower pots. A truckload of several hundred kilograms of shells can be sold for millions of dong.

Although the job of dredging is hard and requires patience and hard work, it is the last choice when there is no other job to cling to, but it is the livelihood of many coastal fishermen...