"Going to the beach" at the beginning of the year.

(Baonghean) - After the Lunar New Year holiday, fishermen in Phu Loi hamlet, Quynh Di ward, Hoang Mai town, joyfully went to Con estuary to perform a fishing prayer ceremony, hoping for favorable weather and a bountiful fishing season in the new year. Following the ceremony, the fishermen embarked on their first fishing trips of the year, hoping for a full catch.

Fishermen at Lach Corn wharf prepare supplies for their first fishing trip of the year.

For generations, the people of Phu Loi Ward have been involved in the exploitation and processing of seafood. Besides fresh seafood, local fishermen also catch anchovies, herring, and other fish, using their traditional experience and expertise to produce the famous, flavorful, and distinctive Quynh Di fish sauce.

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the weather was sunny and warm, the sky was blue and the sea was calm. We arrived at Lach Corn wharf, where the atmosphere had begun to liven up again, with fishermen coming and going in a bustling crowd. Everyone was joyful and cheerful, after the peaceful and warm Tet holiday. On each large fishing boat, fishermen were adjusting the national flag, preparing their fishing gear… getting ready for their long voyage at sea, and, of course, preparing for the annual fishing prayer ceremony, so that they could set sail on the sixth day. Fishermen said that after the Tet holiday, boat owners choose even-numbered days to "first set sail." Smaller boats that fish near the shore might "first set sail" on the fourth day of Tet, while larger boats with powerful engines that fish further offshore usually choose the 6th, 8th, or 10th day.

Before setting off on their first fishing trip of the year, the fishermen perform a traditional prayer for a bountiful catch. The ceremony here isn't as elaborate as in other places; it's simple and economical. The boat owner prepares a tray of fruit, a boiled chicken (or boiled pork) placed on a plate of sticky rice, and recites a simple prayer. One fisherman confided: "For generations, we fishermen have performed this simple prayer for a bountiful catch, yet every year we catch a lot of fish, and our boats return safely. From inshore fishing to offshore fishing, every boat has a successful catch, and the lives of the fishermen are gradually improving. These days, the weather is sunny and warm, the sea is calm, very favorable for the first fishing trip of the year. After the prayer ceremony, we start the engine, drive around the harbor entrance, and officially set out to sea to fish tomorrow morning."

Fishermen in Phu Loi hamlet are repairing their fishing gear, preparing for their first fishing trip of the year.

Eagerly adjusting the lighting system on his boat, bearing the registration number NA94236TS, fisherman Tran Van Hai proudly said: “Our boat has a 400CV engine, purchased three years ago for over 3 billion VND, specializing in offshore fishing using seine nets. Last year, we didn't return to the harbor until the 28th of Tet (Lunar New Year), with over 5 tons of fish, which we sold right there. After deducting expenses, each crew member received nearly 2 million VND to help cover Tet expenses for their families. Each trip like that takes about 5 days to return, bringing in around 5 tons of fish. That means our boat catches about 300 tons of seafood annually, earning billions of VND. Tomorrow, the 6th day of Tet, is considered an auspicious day by the fishermen here, so we're preparing everything meticulously for our first trip of the year, hoping for good luck and a bountiful catch of shrimp and fish.”

At the beginning of the year, the seafood catch is abundant, usually including types of fish like snapper, anchovies, and scad. These fish are excellent for making fish sauce. Therefore, the villagers buy up the catch from the first fishing trips of the year to supply the seafood processing industry. The Phu Loi seafood processing village currently has thousands of fermentation vats for fish sauce, each vat fermenting 500 kg to 1 ton of fish per batch. Thus, every year, this village uses thousands of tons of fish in fish sauce production, yielding over 2 million liters of premium fish sauce for sale on the market.

Speaking about the fishing and seafood processing industry here, Mr. Hoang Van Cuong, owner of a fish sauce processing facility in Phu Loi Hamlet, said: "Now I own the largest fish sauce processing facility in the village, but 10 years ago I myself was a boat owner specializing in offshore fishing. Offshore fishing is hard work, but it doesn't require worrying about the market. For fish sauce processing, although not as strenuous as offshore fishing, it demands consistent product quality and fierce competition for market share. Nowadays, many fish sauce products are available on the market, giving consumers a choice. Therefore, for Phu Loi fish sauce to stand firm in the market, those in the industry must be perceptive and loyal to their customers."

Amidst the bustling crowd, we met the elderly fisherman Tran Van Dang, carrying supplies from his house to his boat. Upon inquiry, we learned that he is the Deputy Head of the Phu Loi Seafood Processing Village Management Board. During our brief conversation, he shared: "It's so much fun. Every year, after Tet (Lunar New Year), we all gather at the dock and board our boats to perform the New Year's fishing prayer ceremony. The ceremony here is simple: a tray of fruit, sticky rice with chicken, placed on the boat, and a simple prayer. Usually, fishermen choose even-numbered days at the beginning of the year to go out to sea for good fortune. Although simple, it's done thoughtfully, because it's a custom passed down from our ancestors; it's indispensable, something that must be present to some extent."

He proudly stated that, born in 1951 in a land with a long tradition of fishing and seafood processing, he understands the trade deeply. He and his wife have two sons who also followed in their father's footsteps, working at sea. The fishing profession has been passed down through generations in his family. His father was also a fisherman, and later, his six brothers all built their own boats to fish in the open sea, continuing their father's legacy. As for himself, he served in the military, and after leaving in 1977, he continued fishing until 2001, when he was old and frail, and retired to work in fish sauce processing. Having saved up some capital, he invested in his two sons' large fishing boats to go out to sea. Currently, his two sons are Tran Van Trang (born in 1980), the captain of a 400CV fishing vessel, and Tran Van Nghiem (born in 1982), a crew member. As a father, although he no longer has the strength to go out to sea, he fulfills his responsibility by preparing offerings every year to perform a fishing prayer ceremony for his sons, hoping for a new year of favorable weather, safe voyages, and abundant catches of shrimp and fish.

The Lạch Cờn estuary grew increasingly crowded, with each boat brightly decorated with national flags, banners, and slogans. Amidst the throng, we felt the bustling and urgent atmosphere of the local fishermen. The annual fishing prayer ceremony reflects the fishermen's hopes and aspirations for their work at sea. They pray for a year of good fortune, calm seas, and favorable weather to catch plenty of fish and shrimp, and to return safely. This is a deeply rooted spiritual tradition of the local fishermen, helping them feel secure as they head out to sea. After the ceremony, the fishing boats will set sail one by one for their first trip of the year.

The fishing village of Phu Loi currently has nearly 40 fishing boats, more than half of which are motorboats with a power of over 300 horsepower, specializing in offshore fishing using seine nets, purse nets, squid fishing, etc. The rest fish near the shore. Mr. Dang estimates that each large boat, fishing far offshore, after each trip of 5-6 days, catches about 5 tons of fish, worth about 30 million VND. After deducting fuel and food costs, the profit is about 50%. Thus, after each year, the fishermen of Phu Loi village catch about 6,000 tons of seafood offshore, not including the inshore fishing team, earning tens of billions of VND. With such a large amount of seafood, a portion supplies fish to the traditional fish sauce production village, and the rest supplies food to the market. Therefore, Phu Loi village not only maintains its connection with and preservation of the seafood harvesting and processing industry, but is also developing further with a fleet of large boats and powerful engines, catching more seafood, and the lives of fishermen are constantly improving. Before leaving Lach Con wharf, a fisherman told us: "In the new fishing season, we will unite and support each other to have more success at sea, hoping for new victories in the new year. We will both engage in economic activities and contribute to protecting the sacred sea and islands of our Fatherland."

X.Hoang - V.Dang