When the sun does not appear on the horizon, fishermen of Song Cau District in the central province of Phu Yen row their thuyen thung (basket boat) offshore to catch fish, shrimp and whatever they can from the sea to sell at a small but bustling port called Ganh Do to earn a living.
A fisherman called Trung told the Daily that like his neighbors he has to get up early every day to prepare nets and other necessary equipment for a sea journey of hours by thuyen thung from as early as 4am.
Depending on the net and the mesh space, the fishermen catch shrimp, squid and fish from the sea before rowing their boats back to the shore at Ganh Do in Xuan Tho Commune when the sun rises high above the horizon around 9 a.m.
When coming onshore, the fishermen are greeted by their wives and children who step into the water to help their husbands and fathers push the basket boat up to the beach and then take out what they have in the net.
The higher the sun rises, the more basket boats come onshore in lines, making Ganh Do a destination full of colors as each boat has colorful flags. Fishermen talk with the people onshore about the day’s catch, the sea and topics of interest when they unfold their nets.
The couples open the net in the boat to take fish and shrimp while children play and run around the boats and rocks, giggling and shouting their joys of the morning. Situated by reefs and rocks, Ganh Do looks like a festive venue in the morning and from a far distance.
Now is not the good season to go out to sea in the central region as fishermen cannot net a lot because the sea is rather rough, Trung says after cleaning sweat drops on his forehead by his right hand.
He says the best time to net plenty of fish, shrimp and squid is from February when the sea is calm. Ca com, a kind of small fish like anchovy, is one of the specialties of the Tuy An Sea and the main ingredient for locals to make original nuoc man (fish sauce), whose reputation has gone beyond the province.
Ganh Do can be approached by car or motorcycle as it is located near National Highway 1A. Visitors can hire a taxi motorcycle in Tuy Hoa City or get on a coach to travel 50 kilometers northward on this highway.