CHAPTER II. FORMS OF EXPLOITATION OF MARINE RESOURCES BY THE COASTAL FISHERMEN COMMUNITY OF CUA LO
In the early days, humans only exploited coastal marine life to supplement their food sources. When their level of development reached a certain level, they created means and tools to exploit those resources more effectively. The first people to explore and develop the coastal area of Cua Lo today had reached a certain level of civilization, they knew how to use boats and nets to go fishing at sea. And with changes in historical circumstances and socio-economic conditions, they adopted new forms of exploitation, enriching the types of seafood exploitation in this area. In the process of adapting to the coastal environment and under the influence of historical circumstances, economic and social conditions, they created a system of knowledge about the natural environment, about the objects of exploitation as well as about how to carry out exploitation activities.
product
1. Fishermen's awareness of the natural environment and marine resources
Fishermen only exploit nature, but do not create nature, they do not
have knowledge about resource reproduction. They also cannot change the terrain and cannot control the ocean - an environment with highly dynamic factors. Therefore, to minimize risks and increase labor efficiency, they pay close attention to changes in natural factors, creating rich understanding of the natural environment and marine resources.
1.1. About weather forecast
The precarious life at sea forced the people here to pay close attention to the weather, especially when modern means of forecasting and communication were not yet developed. Based on the experiences of previous generations and on their own experiences, they have drawn conclusions about the unusual changes of natural phenomena, especially during long sea trips, to make forecasts and prepare countermeasures. That experience has contributed to minimizing the risks brought by nature.
Based on the movement of wind, clouds, water currents and sunrise
and diving, fishermen can know in advance that the weather will turn bad or the sea will be rough.
Sun: The sunrise is covered by clouds, not visible, is a sign of a storm. Normally, the sunrise is a beautiful red, but on a stormy day, the sun will be very red (flaming red) or there will be a fan shape above the sun, which means the sky will be stormy or the wind will change. If strange clouds appear, shaped like a spiral from the sky to the water, then there will definitely be a storm coming tomorrow.
The sun sets completely, without a rainbow, which is a sign of normal, stable weather. However, if the sun normally sets at 6pm, and at around 5:30pm you see blue, red, purple, and yellow colors around the sun (locals here call it the phenomenon of clams eating the sun), it is a sign of bad weather changes. If there is a haze across the sun, tomorrow there may be strong winds. The sun has a rainbow (many colors: blue, white, red, ...) in the south (towards Hong mountain - Ha Tinh) indicating that the weather will be very bad, so the boat will not set sail.
Wind: before the storm, there will be a strong wind (wind blowing from the north) and rain, after about 5 hours, it will change to a strong wind (wind blowing from the east). Or clouds that are flying in the direction of the steady wind suddenly stop gathering and change direction, which is a sign that the weather is changing in a bad direction.
When the moon rises, if a star appears right next to it, it means a storm is coming.
Water flow: When fishing, rely on the movement of the net or fishing line to predict the direction of the water flow. If you see the bottom water (under 10 - 12 fathoms) moving from the shore, while the surface water flows to the shore, it means the weather is about to change and the sea will be rough.
1.2 On tidal regime and surface water - bottom water diagram.
Under the gravitational influence of the moon on the earth, it creates a cycle of water level fluctuations, from when the sea level rises to its maximum level until when the sea level falls to its minimum level, commonly known as a tide. After that cycle, another cycle is repeated, but the time of water rise and fall is opposite to the time in the previous cycle.
According to folk calculations, usually the 5th day of the first lunar month is the beginning of counting a tide, every 14 days there is a tide rising and falling, each month there is
two tides, except February and August which have 3 tides, the time of rising and falling tides do not coincide from month to month. The whole year has 12 months divided into 6 pairs of months with the same tides, January and July, February and August, March and September, April and October, May and November, June and December. After half a year, the tide cycle returns to the first month of the year, however, in the first 6 months of the year, the tides arise during the day, in the last 6 months of the year, the tides arise at night.
The day a cycle begins is called the day of water birth. Through experience at sea, fishermen know that this is a day when nature has many changes: heavy rain, strong winds or deep sea water swirling, rapid flow, etc. This has a great impact on seafood exploitation, especially for the trawling profession. For this profession, if the water flows too fast or too slow, the exploitation efficiency is not high. For the night fishing profession, calm water is needed to go out to sea to fish, stronger water flows can only be used in the lagoon.
Understanding the surface and bottom water currents also plays an important role in choosing the right time and means of fishing effectively. If the bottom water currents and the surface water currents are in the same direction, it is easy to spread the net, but if the two water currents are in opposite directions, it is very difficult to spread the net.
Surface water depends on wind direction, bottom surface water depends mainly on tidal regime and is partly affected by wind direction, the stronger the wind, the greater the pressure on the bottom water layer.
If the wind blows in the southeast - northwest direction, the surface water will also flow in the southeast - northwest direction. At that time, if the tide is rising, the bottom water will also flow in that direction. If the tide is falling, the bottom water will flow in the northeast - southwest direction.
North
2'
1 & 1'
Male
2
Diagram 1: Diagram of wind directions and surface and bottom water directions
Northwest Northeast
West East
Southwest Southeast
If the wind blows from west to east, surface water flows westward.
– East, if the water is rising, the bottom water flows in the southwest – northeast direction,
If the water is falling, the bottom water flows in the northwest - southeast direction.
Northwest 2' North Northeast
West
1 & 1'
Winter
Southwest 2 South Southeast
If the wind blows from the northeast - southwest direction, the surface water flows from the northeast - southwest direction. If the water is rising, the bottom water flows from the southeast - northwest direction. If the water is falling, the bottom water flows from the northeast direction.
– southwest.
Northwest North
1 & 1'
Northeast
2'
West East
2
Southwest South Southeast
(Note: 1 and 1': wind direction and surface water direction 2: bottom water direction when the tide is rising
2': bottom water flow direction when the tide is going down)
1.3. About the fish season and the water of seafood
In addition to weather factors, through many years of experience at sea, fishermen here have also observed the location and migration season of seafood species - their target. There are fish, shrimp, squid and other seafood all year round at sea, but the important thing is that through practice, fishermen recognize when many types of fish appear and use appropriate fishing gear to achieve high efficiency. Just like in agriculture, farmers divide cultivation by season - winter-spring crop, summer-autumn crop - fishermen also divide fishing seasons by season.
The seasonal calendar here is divided into two seasons, the southern season and the northern season. The southern fishing season is from the 3rd to the 8th lunar month every year, the northern fishing season is from the 9th to the 2nd lunar month. In which, the southern season is the main fishing season for fishermen because
This is the time when fish enter the shallows (closer to shore, shallow water) to spawn, and this is also the season with less rain and storms, and the weather is favorable for fishing. However, fish caught in the southern season are not as fat as fish caught in the northern season, because the weather is colder in winter. The southern season (summer) has three main types of fish: bream, mu fish and anchovies (anchovies), the northern season (winter) mainly has mackerel and bream.
Through generations of working with the sea, fishermen have also recognized the seasonal migration habits of seafood. For example, for shrimp, in the southern season, they often float during the day (some move close to the ground, but few do), and stay close to the seabed at night; but in the northern season, during the day they mostly stay close to the seabed, and at night they float closer to the water surface. However, there are times when it is difficult to predict whether they sink or float, especially when the weather is unusual and has many changes. Fishermen here also said that usually if they float in Nghe An sea, during that time shrimp also float in Ha Tinh sea.
Regarding fish, they are divided into two systems, the pelagic fish system is the fish system that usually lives near the water surface and the terrestrial fish system is the fish system that mainly lives in areas closer to the seabed. The pelagic fish system usually has species such as catfish, bream, and anchovies. The terrestrial fish system mainly has catfish, bream, and pomfret. This terrestrial fish system reproduces more slowly but the export demand is higher than the pelagic fish system, therefore, it brings higher economic value.
Within 5 nautical miles from shore, there are the following seafood: cuttlefish, anchovies, small herring, flounder (used for export), catfish (currently rarely caught), bream, mullet, cuttlefish, crab, small silver shrimp, mantis shrimp, shrimp,...
From 5 to 10 nautical miles there are herring (bigger than scad), large squid (squid over 5cm), pompano, small mackerel (from 1 to 2kg), spotted fish, raft fish, small sharks, silver pomfret, scad,...
From 10 to 20 nautical miles: mackerel, shark, scad, mackerel, mullet, mackerel, bream,...
From 20 to 30 nautical miles include red snapper, mullet, mullet, scad, and catfish.
fat,...
Above 30 nautical miles (usually up to about 40 nautical miles) there are sawfish, large mackerel (scad)
mackerel and mackerel, shellfish (which often lie close to the ground), red snapper, striped fish, shark (arowana), skin fish, squid,...
1.4. Changes in fishermen's awareness of the natural environment and resources
In addition to folk knowledge which is the product of practical experience and the accumulation of generations, nowadays, due to many policies and the development of science and technology, fishermen have access to scientific knowledge to be more proactive in working in the natural marine environment.
Sea safety is increasingly being focused on. Seafarers now not only rely on practical experience to decide whether to go fishing or not, but also depend heavily on weather forecasts from the media and communication networks of rescue centers.
Local radio and television stations report on weather forecasts, especially storms. Fishermen know what is a distant storm, a storm in the East Sea, a storm near the shore, an emergency storm to take timely preventive measures, especially during fishing trips. Since the boats have been mechanized, each boat has communication equipment such as radios, walkie-talkies, and ICOM equipment. All crew members must know how to use this equipment system, especially the captain, to receive forecast information about unusual changes in the weather to promptly bring the boat to a safe shelter. Communication to call on boats uses 3 existing ICOM machines: 1 machine located at the Department of Aquatic Resources Protection, 2 machines located on 2 ships of the Department and machines of the Border Guard stations. Families with members going fishing can contact people on the boat via walkie-talkies, through the fishing team to call on and guide the boat to a shelter.
In addition, fishermen are also propagated the effects and importance of life buoys for the safety of seafarers. Before the 90s (20th century), carrying life buoys when going to sea was completely taboo because of the concept of "carrying buoys is bad luck". In recent years, along with propaganda work and efforts of the fisheries industry, the awareness of many fishermen has gradually changed. However, in reality, small boats with low endurance, fishermen often buy buoys freely sold on the market, cheap but the quality is not guaranteed, many boats do not have or carry broken buoys, buoys are often bulky, large in size, so many fishermen often just leave them on the boat, do not carry them on their person because it affects operations.
catch
Thus, thanks to means of communication and some safety equipment at sea, fishermen here can promptly grasp changes in the weather to be more proactive when fishing.
However, while fishing at sea, if there is a storm, experienced sailors still rely on their experience to recognize changes in the surrounding nature to make timely decisions to avoid it.
2. Forms of exploitation and fishing gear systems
After hundreds of years of fishing for a living, fishermen here have created and selected tools and methods to exploit seafood, suitable for terrain conditions, biological characteristics of seafood species as well as changes in social conditions.
Status | Target | P. Nghi Sea | P. Nghi Peace | P. Nghi New | P. Nghi Water | P. Thu Water |
1 | Crab fishing profession | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 11 |
Number of ships (vessels) | 4 | 4 | 11 | |||
- Machine capacity (CV) | 128 | 110 | 305 | |||
Number of employees (People) | 15 | 16 | 46 | |||
- Income (million/person/year) | 6 | 6 | 6.5 | |||
- Time off (days) | 100 | 100 | 100 | |||
- Cost (VND/day/trip) | 200,000 | 200,000 | 200,000 | |||
- Investment cost of fishing gear (million/year) | 10 | 10 | 10 | |||
2 | Light Fishing Profession | |||||
Number of ships (vessels) | 20 | 0 | 22 | 43 | 0 | |
- Machine capacity (CV) | 700 | 704 | 1,935 | |||
Number of employees (people) | 144 | 120 | 283 |
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Table 3: Summary of indicators on fisheries exploitation by main occupations in Cua Lo (Survey data up to January 15, 2007)
- Income (million/person/year) | 7.2 | 7 | 7 | |||
- Time off (day) | 100 | 100 | 100 | |||
- Cost (VND/day/trip) | 350,000 | 350,000 | 350,000 | |||
- Investment costs fishing gear (million/year) | 15 | 15 | 15 | |||
3 | Blinds Craft - take | |||||
Number of ships (piece) | 28 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 0 | |
- Machine capacity (CV) | 1,260 | 192 | 405 | |||
Number of employees (People) | 196 | 30 | 56 | |||
- Income (million/person/year) | 8 | 7 | 7 | |||
- Time off (day) | 90 | 90 | 90 | |||
- Expense (VND/day/trip) | 300,000 | 300,000 | 300,000 | |||
- Investment costs fishing gear (million/year) | 20 | 20 | 15 | |||
4 | Fishing | |||||
Number of ships (piece) | 42 | 2 | 34 | 7 | ||
- Machine capacity (CV) | 1,276 | 62 | 1,088 | 250 | ||
Number of employees (People) | 168 | 12 | 120 | 28 | ||
- Income (million/person/year) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | ||
- Time off (day) | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | ||
- Cost (VND/day/trip) | 250,000 | 250,000 | 250,000 | 250,000 | ||
- Investment costs fishing gear (million/year) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | ||
5 | Leather craft | |||||
Number of ships (piece) | 32 | 3 | 21 | 57 | 12 | |
- Machine capacity | 1,056 | 96 | 672 | 1950 | 315 |
(CV) | ||||||
Number of employees (People) | 128 | 13 | 63 | 114 | 45 | |
- Income (million/person/year) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |
- Time off (day) | 80 | 80 | 80 | 90 | 90 | |
- Expense (VND/day/trip) | 200,000 | 200,000 | 200,000 | 200,000 | 200,000 | |
- Investment costs fishing gear (million/year) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | |
6 | profession | |||||
Number of ships (piece) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 80 | 0 | |
- Machine capacity (CV) | 28 | 1,920 | ||||
Number of employees (People) | 4 | 160 | ||||
- Income (million/person/year) | 5.5 | 5 | ||||
- Time off (day) | 60 | 60 | ||||
- Expense (VND/day/trip) | 150,000 | 150,000 | ||||
- Investment costs fishing gear (million/year) | 2 | 2 | ||||
7 | Bottom fishing | |||||
Number of ships (piece) | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
- Machine capacity (CV) | 208 | 45 | ||||
Number of employees (People) | 39 | 9 | ||||
- Income (million/person/year) | 6.5 | 6.5 | ||||
- Time off (day) | 75 | 75 | ||||
- Cost (VND/day/trip) | 100,000 | 100,000 | ||||
- Investment costs fishing gear (million/year) | 5 | 5 | ||||
8 | Fishing - boating trough |