Bustling crab hunting season in Cua Lo
(Baonghean.vn) - In the last months of the year, people in Nghi Tan ward (Cua Lo town) are actively going to the sea to hunt for crabs. Although the price is not as good as in previous years, crabs are still a type of seafood that brings in a good income for many households.
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Every day, from 12 noon to 3 pm, at the boat docks and piers on the Cam River in Nghi Tan ward (Cua Lo town), there are quite a few crab hunting boats docking to sell their goods. Photo: Huy Thu |
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According to locals, crabs are caught using octagonal cages on large boats, while crabs are caught using nets on small boats. In Nghi Tan ward, most people hunt crabs using nets, with each family consisting of 2-4 workers. Photo: Huy Thu |
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Crab nets are about 3 - 4m long. People often cast nets around Mat Island, waiting 3 - 4 hours each time before collecting the net. The head of each crab hunting boat is usually attached to a reel. When collecting the net, all you have to do is turn the reel to roll up the net and then return to the dock to untangle it. Photo: Huy Thu |
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Removing crabs from the net requires patience and meticulousness so that the crabs do not break their legs and the net is less likely to break or be damaged. Sometimes, to remove a crab from the net, a section of the net must be cut. Therefore, the crab-hunting net wears out quite quickly, and after 5-7 trips out to sea, a new net must be replaced. Photo: Huy Thu |
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After being removed from the net, the crabs are tied by their legs with nylon ropes and transported to the wharf to be sold to traders. Photo: Huy Thu |
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Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong (65 years old), residing in Nghi Tan ward, said: Recently, each time he leaves the port (leaves at midnight, returns at noon), his family's boat also catches about 40 kg of various types of crabs. According to Mr. Cuong, when hunting far from shore, they catch big crabs, when hunting close to shore, they catch small crabs. Each day, crab hunting uses about 20 - 25 liters of fuel, depending on the distance. Currently, it is the time of year when crabs are most plentiful. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| Before the boat reached the dock, traders inside and outside Nghi Tan ward had gathered at the dock and on the piers, waiting to buy crabs. The scene of crab selection and trading at the peak time at Nghi Tan dock was quite bustling. In addition to crabs, people also bought, sold and exchanged other types of fish and shrimp. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| There are many types of crabs: 3-dot crab (moon crab), flower crab (red crab), green crab..., of which, green crab with white dot is the type of crab with the best meat. Cua Lo crab is considered to be of good quality. The wholesale price at the wharf, the best crab (big, thick body) is about 160,000 - 170,000 VND/kg. The smaller the crab, the cheaper the price, the smallest type costs around 30,000 VND/kg. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| Crab hunting boats docked in Nghi Tan ward, in addition to local people, there were also many people from neighboring wards and people from Hoang Mai town, Thanh Hoa... Many households from other places also came here to stay and work. "These days, every day when we go hunting, my family's boat including my father and I also hunts about 60 kg of crabs. If we catch crabs, we can earn a few million VND every day and night", Mr. Phan Van Hau - a fisherman in Quynh Phuong commune (Hoang Mai town) shared. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| According to locals, crabs this year are less expensive than previous years. Grade 1 crabs cost 200,000 - 250,000 VND/kg last year, but now they are only 170,000 VND/kg. The reason for the drop in crab prices, according to traders, is mainly because the northern market is not consuming as much as before. Photo: Huy Thu |
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| Mr. Nguyen Duc Lam - Chairman of Nghi Tan Ward People's Committee said: Local people only catch crabs in a few dozen boats, the rest are boats from other localities. Along with fish, crabs are a type of seafood that brings in a good income for many households in the ward, as well as crab hunters in Cua Lo. Photo: Huy Thu |
Bustling crab hunting season in Cua Lo. Video: Huy Thu |
