(Baonghean.vn) - The news about Typhoon No. 10 making landfall in Nghe An, along with the crackling sound from the old radio, deepened the wrinkles on Mr. Hau and Mr. Thoa's faces.
Sitting atop their rickety watchtowers on the beach, these men, like many clam farmers in Quynh Tho commune (Quynh Luu district), could only pray that the storm wouldn't come.
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| Along the Quỳnh Thọ beach (Quỳnh Lưu district) are the clam-watching huts of the clam-farming households in the commune. Currently, there are 13 households raising clams in the commune. Photo: Chu Thanh |
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| The news of Typhoon No. 10 about to hit Nghe An, broadcast from an old radio, seemed to deepen the wrinkles on the face of Mr. Ho Ngoc Thoa (1962), one of the clam farming households in Quynh Tho. "After the storm, I don't know if any of the clams I just stocked on 1 hectare will survive or if they'll all be swept away by the waves and wind. Well, since we rely on the weather for our livelihood, we just have to accept it," Mr. Thoa recounted. (Photo: Chu Thanh) |
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| Patting the steps leading up to the rickety, approximately 4-5 square meter clam watchtower in the middle of the beach, Mr. Ho Ngoc Hau (1964) carefully warned people to watch out for the clams and oysters clinging to the base of the tower. “It may look like this, but it cost over ten million dong to build this tower. A larger, sturdier watchtower would cost tens of millions more. Last time, when the storm came, this tower was shaky and we had to prop it up; I don’t know if it will hold up this time,” Mr. Hau said with a sad smile. (Photo: Chu Thanh) |
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| Mr. Hau said that clam farming can be considered a job that involves "living and breathing the sea," as they have to be present in the clam watchtower almost all day long. Sleeping, resting, eating... all activities of clam farming families like his take place in the watchtower. Photo: Chu Thanh |
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| Almost every night, Mr. Thoa and Mr. Hau go to the watchtower. "After watching the clams, it's time to watch the people, otherwise we'll lose everything. And when we sleep, we have to wrap ourselves tightly in life vests and ropes, otherwise, when we wake up, we might find ourselves drifting far out to sea," Mr. Hau said humorously. It's a joke, but not entirely so. For those who live in clam watchtowers, they absolutely never lock the door when they're inside and always carry life vests. Because the sea is unpredictable. When sudden storms or tornadoes sweep through, people still have time to run. And if they can't run fast enough, at least they have something to cling to while waiting for rescue if the watchtower is blown out to sea. Photo: Chu Thanh |
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| Having raised clams for over two decades, Mr. Hau says that this profession largely depends on the weather. If the weather is merciful, it provides; if it fails, then so be it. Like many families here, his family has over 1 hectare of clam farms. "We only released the clams in March or April of the lunar calendar, and now the storm is coming, and the clams are still small. Now, whatever valuable things are in the hut, we have to bring them back; otherwise, we don't know what to do. We'll figure things out after the storm passes," Mr. Hau mused. (Photo: Chu Thanh) |
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| According to experienced clam farmers, storms of level 9 or 10 or higher almost guarantee total loss. This doesn't even account for strong winds and waves sweeping away all the clams or diseases that leave entire fields barren. Unlike other seafood, it's difficult to detect disease early or find effective treatments for clam farming. Sometimes, when farmers visit their fields, they find the clams all dead, leaving them with nothing but sorrow. (Photo: Chu Thanh) |
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| For the past two years, clam prices have plummeted. Currently, traders are only buying clams at the beach for 11,000 VND per kilogram. With Typhoon No. 10 approaching, some residents of Quynh Tho are rushing to the beach to gather a few clams for cooking. As for the entire clam bed, still growing and waiting to be harvested at the end of the year, all they can do is pray for God's mercy! Photo: Chu Thanh |
Chu Thanh
