The job of net mending by women in the coastal areas of Nghe An
Ngoc Khanh - Viet Phuong•13/09/2023 11:27
(Baonghean.vn) - Dynamic and industrious in preserving a multi-generational profession, women in the coastal area of Quynh Luu district actively contribute to economic development and increase income through various supporting jobs in fishing, including net mending.
However, currently, many boats are venturing out to sea less frequently, leading to a gradual decrease in income for these women.
Quynh Luu district has around 1,200 fishing vessels and boats for seafood harvesting, with the Quynh Long commune accounting for about one-third of them. After each sea voyage, every vessel and boat has a demand for net mending, creating employment and income for a significant number of women. The net mending team in Dai Tan hamlet, Quynh Long commune, typically maintains a workforce of 15 - 20 women, operating on a "custom order" basis from boat owners after each fishing expedition. Photo: Ngoc Khanh As a result, the profession of net mending in Quynh Luu district, particularly in Quynh Long commune, has been sustained from generation to generation, almost becoming a tradition. It not only provides jobs for many laborers but also represents a distinctive cultural beauty of the coastal region. The net mending profession mainly attracts female laborers of all ages, from students to elderly individuals over 70 years old. Photo: Viet Phuong There are various types of nets used in seafood harvesting. In Quynh Long commune, the most frequently net type asked for mending by boat owners is the encircling net. The entire commune has about 160 fishing vessels and boats, with a capacity of nearly 60,000 horsepower, of which more than half are offshore encircling net boats. Ms. Tran Thi Thanh, head of the net mending team in Dai Tan hamlet, Quynh Long commune, mentioned that each type of net requires a different mending technique. To become proficient, one must be diligent in learning and practicing the craft for 3-6 months, or even up to a year. In addition, those engaged in this profession must have knowledge about different types of nets and be curious and creative to achieve a decent income. Photo: Ngoc Khanh A set of fishing nets, depending on the type, can sometimes be worth billions of Vietnamese dong. They inevitably suffer some damage, with individual mesh strands breaking and tearing, necessitating repairs before the next fishing expedition. The profession of net mending demands both speed and patience. Women need to meticulously inspect each mesh to locate the damaged areas. "If only one mesh is torn, there's no need for mending. It's only when there are two or three damaged meshes or more that we need to mend them to prevent fish from slipping through and reducing the effectiveness of the catch. The tool used for net mending is a small knife used to trim excess twine before expertly stitching with a specialized netting needle. The netting needle is primarily made of plastic," explained a member of the net mending team in Dai Tan hamlet. Photo: Viet Phuong Each net mending laborer is paid VND 90,000/day. For a set of encircling nets like the one in the picture, depending on the extent of damage requiring mending, it takes about 3 - 4 laborers working diligently for 4 - 7 days to complete. Besides taking net mending orders to do at home, these women also take on quick mending tasks right on the boats, earning VND 150,000 - 200,000/day. Mainly, boats’ nets in urgent need of mending and with a limited number of damaged areas will hire for on-the-spot mending. Each laborer in the net mending team can earn an income of VND 2 - 3 million/month. Photo: Ngoc Khanh However, according to the net mending team members, nowadays, there are fewer boats going out to sea. Many fishing laborers have either left the profession for abroad work or sought other jobs due to reduced income and fluctuating harvesting yields. This has led to a decreasing trend in net mending orders. Photo: Viet Phuong Despite concerns about fewer sea voyages, net mending remains a regular source of employment for women in the coastal region. This profession continues to be passed down from one generation to the next. Currently, according to the leadership of the People's Committee of Quynh Long commune, after achieving the new style rural standards, the commune will continue to build and maintain the fishing industry's support activities, bringing high economic value and stable income to the local residents, including combining the activities of encircling net fishing, seafood processing, net mending, sea transport, and labor export... creating and sustaining regular employment for over 5,000 people of working age. Photo: Ngoc Khanh
