In addition to the bottom of the river (bottoms on rivers and canals), Ca Mau province also has bottom packing offshore. This career has a long tradition and close to coastal fishermen in Ca Mau.
Dawn on the sea. Photo: Huynh Kim Hai.
The bottom packing offshore mean packing at sea offshore. This career has been associated with the process of formation and development of marine fisheries of Ca Mau fishermen. At first, only a few fishermen households in the mouth of Rach Tau sea, Rach Goc, Ngoc Hien district do this. The latter is effective, relatively high income, so many fishermen in the area to follow. Up to now, in Ca Mau province, there are thousands of mouths of large and small packing offshore. In it, the strongest development in the coastal fishing villages such as: Cai Doi Vam (Phu Tan district); Rach Tau, Rach Goc (Ngoc Hien district).
Normally, packing offshore is located 10 to 15 nautical miles (18 to 25 km) from mainland. Packing offshore use large, straight (usually embankment) trees, about 30 meters in length, and deep in the bottom of the sea to make the bottom pillar. Each mouth is 50 m wide, assembled from nets, nil, with small eyes. The mouth is long, the tail tapered like a pyramid and fixed to the bottom pillar. When shelling (harvesting shrimps, fishes), huts (bottom-up worker, guard) just pull the bottom of the mouth, open the wire, drown the shrimp and fish into the boat.
“Packing offshore” workers must have experience, knowledge of marine professions. At the same time, to determine the wind direction, the sea flow and especially know where is the canals of sea, where there are more fish, shrimp, etc. According to many fishermen, the packing offshore is located in the canals of sea, where there is a depth of twelve swaths of water as measured by the fishermen (ie from 20 to 25 m). Each fishermen who do packing offshore business has an average of 10-30 bottom mouths (depending on economic conditions, investment capital, etc.).
On the bottom of the offshore there is a watchtower, each one is more than 1m2 and there are 2-3 fishermen (also known as huts) together to pack the bottom, harvest, manage and protect the bottom of offshore. From the distance, the watchtowers look like birds hanging over the sea. The hut must be a skilled seafaring, brave, good swimmer, know how to water to decide to play the bottom or chute (drop net, pull net, harvest fish and shrimp). Between the watchtowers are often hundreds of meters apart and are linked together by a rope to expose the bottom. This rope system is also a place of rest, a “traffic network” to help huts walk the sea. Due to the characteristics of the career, most of the huts before sleeping often carry sharp knife with them so that when suddenly falling into the sea, washed away to the bottom, have the means to grate the net. At the same time, tight the big plastic cans to prevent falling into the sea also have “lifebuoy”.
The packing offshore can be done year round, regardless of seasons or months. Each month, they can pack 2 water (full moon and 30th) for less than 15 days. The job of the huts is difficult, hard work almost “completely isolate” society. Every day, especially when the water is washed bottom, drying bottom and then re-water to excuse bottom, pull the bottom. Products are mainly seafood such as shrimp, squid, fish and other types of sea fish. This product is shipped to the shore for sale to the owners and partitions for huts.
According to the general convention of packing offshore, huts have no salary but they are entitled to one of 7 or 5 bottom mouths to earn income instead of salary. However, huts have to know the sea, get used to the sea, have long-stay conditions in the sea, withstand heavy waves, big winds and sometimes storms. The huts may have to bet their life on the sea.