Society

Staying up all night to fish for sardines on the Lam River.

Huy Thu • March 22, 2025 20:57

During the sardine fishing season, despite the hard work of staying up all night, the people in the fishing villages along the Lam River earn extra income. This year, sardines are fetching a good price, doubling the joy of the villagers.

bna_1(1).jpg — These days, people in localities such as Nam Dan, Thanh Chuong, and Do Luong... who fish on the Lam River are in the season for catching sardines. In the evening, the river surface sparkles with the lights of flashlights and signal lamps used by the fishermen. Photo: Huy Thu

Sardines in the sea only swim upstream on the Lam River once a year during the spring, sometimes earlier, sometimes later. For people who make their living on the river, March is the sardine fishing season. Photo: Huy Thu

Mr. Nguyen Cong Tinh (58 years old) - a veteran sardine fisherman in Thanh Tan hamlet, Thuong Tan Loc commune (Nam Dan district) shared: Sardines swim upstream both day and night. However, fishing at night yields more fish, so people here mainly go fishing at night. Photo: Huy Thu

Each hamlet in Thanh Tan commune, Thuong Tan Loc district, has dozens of boats used for sardine fishing. Some households have 1-2 boats, while others have 3-4. Depending on their preference, people set off early in the evening or at midnight. Whether they leave early or late, the boats only fish for about 4-5 hours before returning to the dock. Photo: Huy Thu

bna_5..jpg — Fishing boats from Thuong Tan Loc commune can travel as far as Phuong (Thanh Chuong) or down to the Lieu market area (Hung Nguyen). Each boat usually carries several nets, each 100-300 meters long. After casting the nets, the fishermen anchor the boat, take a short nap on the deck, or browse their phones for about 1-1.5 hours before pulling in the nets to catch the fish. Photo: Huy Thu

bna_6..jpg — Around 5-6 am, the boats that went out to fish for sardines at night in Thuong Tan Loc commune will gradually return to shore. At dawn, many fishing boats are still trying to pull in their last nets. Photo: Huy Thu

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan (58 years old), a sardine fisherwoman in Thuong Tan Loc commune, said: "Going fishing for sardines requires staying up all night to cast nets, which is quite hard work, especially on nights with drizzle and cold winds. On one stretch of river, many fishing boats cast their nets at the same time, and sometimes the nets get tangled together, making it very troublesome to untangle them." (Photo: Huy Thu)

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Loan (65 years old), Mrs. Lan's husband, shared: During the sardine season, he and his wife usually go fishing at midnight and only return in the morning. Each time they go fishing, they catch 3-5 kg of fish. On days with "unpredictable weather," when it starts raining or sunny, they catch more, about 7-8 kg or 10 kg. Photo: Huy Thu

According to Mr. Loan, the sardines caught on the Lam River are usually sold by locals at Sa Nam market, online, or to traders who come directly to the dock to buy them. Many households store large quantities of fish in their refrigerators to sell to acquaintances throughout the South and North of Vietnam. Photo: Huy Thu

This year, the price of sardines in Nam Dan ranges from 80,000 to 100,000 VND/kg, nearly double last year's price. With high prices and brisk sales, sardines are bringing joy and a good income to the fishermen in the Lam River villages. (Photo: Huy Thu)

Gathering the nets to remove the sardines this morning. Video: Huy Thu

Huy Thu