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| A bountiful harvest of “sea fortune.” Photo: Tan Phat |
Spreading the word: the sergestid shrimps are in
For people living by the sea, sergestid shrimps are a familiar catch, but predicting when they appear is very difficult. Sometimes, even in the middle of the season, there is a long stretch with no sergestid shrimps at all. Other times, they suddenly surface in dense numbers, turning a whole area of coastal water red. Mr. Doan Loc from Vinh Loc commune, who has spent decades working the sea, says that sergestid shrimps coming ashore depends on the tides and weather. But even experienced fishermen, they find it hard to predict exactly when they will show up.
“Sergestid shrimps usually have two main seasons - spring and summer. But most days when they surface, there’s no warning sign at all. Fishermen working at sea, or people walking along the shore, spot them and pass the word along. Within moments, everyone grabs their nets and heads out to haul them in,” recounts Mr. Loc.
As for Mr. Loc, the sergestid shrimps usually do not stay near the surface for long, so people have to move quickly to make the most of it. Those having nets bring nets. Others use baskets, sieves, or whatever suitable tools to scoop sergestid shrimps from the shallow water.
News that sergestid shrimps have appeared travels fast. People call out to each other, neighbors pass the word, relatives phone in. Within a short time, the whole beach fills with people, young and old, heading down to the water.
“I recall the days before everyone had phones like now. Whenever people spotted sergestid shrimps, they would run back to the village to tell each other. Now, word travels faster, yet the atmosphere is just the same. When the sergestid shrimps come in, everyone feels joyful and excited, because it is a gift from the sea,” says Mr. Loc.
Joy after each haul
With more than 30 years of experience hauling sergestid shrimps, Mr. Nguyen Cong Hien, from Phu Vinh commune, says people today harvest sergestid shrimps mainly in two ways: pulling nets either by boat or by hand.
“When the sergestid shrimps are thick, a single boat haul can bring in tons. Meanwhile, in the shallows near shore, people usually use hand-pulled nets. Each net requires two to four people working together. Two people hold the ends of the net, wade into the water, then pull it in an arc to gather the acetes,” explains Mr. Hien.
Mr. Hien continues to share that during especially dense sergestid shrimps runs, a single hand-net haul can bring in two to three hundred kilograms. After each haul, people quickly head to shore, shake the acetes out of the net, and go right back into the water.
Sergestid shrimps usually surface from early morning until around midday; that is also the busiest time on the beach. “Some days, the sergestid shrimps turn a huge stretch of sea a deep red. Standing on shore looking out, it is quite a sight. Some people pull nets. Others scoop up krill. Boats move around in the distance. The day the acetes come in feels like a festival for the whole village. As long as you have the right tool, anyone can join in and share this gift from the sea,” shares Mr. Hien.
It is not just professional fishing workers. Many people living near the shore also take the chance to go out and gather sergestid shrimps. Once brought ashore, the sergestid shrimps are bought up right on the beach by traders, who then transport them for sale.
Currently, traders buy fresh sergestid shrimps at around 7,000 VND per kilogram, while dried sergestid shrimps sell for 90,000–120,000 VND per kilogram, depending on size and quality. Though dried acetes are worth more, producing one kilogram requires about 5–7 kilograms of fresh sergestid shrimps along with several steps of drying and processing. Therefore, people often weigh the choice between selling it fresh or processing it to boost its value.
For Mr. Doan Loc, after 40 years working on the sea, the days when sergestid shrimps come ashore still bring a rush of excitement. It is not just the joy of extra income, but also a chance for people to work together and share in the sea’s unexpected gift.
The sergestid shrimps season comes and goes with the tide. Some runs last only a few hours, but that is enough to fill the fishing village with calls for everyone to head down to the sea. Amid all the hardships of life by the sea, the day the sergestid shrimps arrive is still eagerly awaited like a festival. It is not just “sea fortune” or a precious source of income, but also nature’s gift to those who have devoted so many years to the ocean.