Every morning, as the sun rises and bathes the sea in golden light, fleets of boats slowly make their way ashore. The rumble of tractors hauling the boats blends with the sound of waves. The dock soon grows busy: fishermen call out greetings, women laugh and chat as they deftly untangle fish from the nets. Fresh catches of fish and shrimp are quickly sorted and sent to the early morning market.
At the dock, Tran Van Cuong and his wife, Le Thi Nu, are busy hauling baskets of round scad, anchovies, Indian mackerel, and fresh squid ashore. "This year, the weather has been favorable, with warm sunshine and calm seas. On this trip, my family caught 20 kilos of fish, along with various types of shrimp and crabs. Every good catch like this makes our life more prosperous," said Cuong.
"My husband works hard at sea, so I have to do my best at home. Every morning when the boat comes in, my children and I run to the dock to collect the fish, shrimp, and squid, sort them, and sell them on the beach. We’re happy whenever there’s a big catch because it gives our family some extra income," Nu told VOV.
This is the daily rhythm of life for fishermen in Xuan Yen fishing village. Most local fishermen engage in nearshore fishing using small, low-capacity boats. They usually set sail between 1 and 2 a.m. and return as the sun begins to rise. Each trip lasts several hours, depending largely on the tides and weather.
In Xuan Yen, generations of fishermen have regarded their boats as home and the sea as both their homeland and livelihood. Having spent more than 50 years at sea, his face deeply lined and his hands calloused from hauling nets, Nguyen Xuan Hao of Yen Ngu hamlet, Tien Dien commune, said, "A fisherman’s life has many hardships, but I always believe and hope that the sea will provide plenty of fish and shrimp so that our lives can prosper.”
“My grandfather’s generation, my father’s, mine, and my children’s have all been tied to the sea. People like me who have spent their lives at sea have grown accustomed to the wind and waves. Our skin may be tanned, but we’re happy to earn a living, support our families, and carry on the legacy of our ancestors," Hao added.
Although life at sea is arduous and full of challenges, the ocean provides both a livelihood and a cherished tradition passed down through generations. Following in their forefathers’ footsteps, many young men in Xuan Yen became attached to the sea in their teen years.
Untangling crabs from a net to help his mother take them to market, Nguyen Trong Hung of Yen Ngu hamlet recalled, "Since I was started school, whenever I had free time, I would follow my father and older brother on nearshore fishing trips to learn the trade. Now I have 10 years of experience at sea. Many of my peers have also chosen fishing as a livelihood. Even when we left our hometown for a while, we eventually came back to the sea."
With about 500 households engaged in seafood harvesting, Xuan Yen fishing village has 300 registered boats, most of them small vessels used for nearshore fishing. Stable earnings from the trade have given local fishermen more secure lives. They have had to continuously adapt and innovate to keep pace with changing conditions.
Tran Thi Nga of Hai Loi hamlet, Tien Dien commune, who has worked at sea with her husband for nearly 30 years, said that for generations, Xuan Yen has been a coastal village of seafaring families whose livelihoods depend on the sea.
“Every morning, between 300 and 400 boats head out for nearshore fishing. When they return, we often have catches of anchovies, herring, Indian mackerel, cod, shrimp, and crabs. I’m very happy to sell the seafood and earn some extra income. We constantly encourage one another to work hard at sea so we can build better lives," said Nga.
As the sun climbs higher, the roar of boat engines fades and the beach returns to its natural tranquility. Along the shore, fishing boats rest side by side, their bright red national flags fluttering in the wind. This rhythm of life gives Xuan Yen village its distinctive character as a place where each new day begins with the sea and fishermen continue to place their hopes in the next voyage.
