People call those men who live in tiny huts “hung” on the poles of nets stretched across the open sea “bạn chòi” (hut keepers). In pursuit of a livelihood, those working as bạn chòi always face numerous uncertainties, even risking their own lives.
“Solitary confinement” in the middle of the sea
Đáy hàng khơi is the profession of setting deep-bottom nets far out at sea, at least 5 nautical miles from the mainland. The nets are attached to large poles, and atop these poles “hang” the smallest possible huts serving as shelter for the net keepers, also known as bạn chòi. Besides guarding the nets, their job involves monitoring the tides to decide when to lower or haul in the nets, so they must stay anchored day and night out at sea. Not only are they confined “like solitary confinement” in a hut so tiny that “turning around touches the walls,” but the living environment of bạn chòi is filled with many dangers.
“Going to sea, don’t talk about accidents. Especially for these bạn chòi guys, mentioning risks scares people…,” Mr. Nguyễn Thành Tài, a fisherman from Cái Đôi Vàm seaside town (Phú Tân District, Cà Mau), warned me not to bring up unpleasant stories when going out to the nets so the brothers out there can stay calm. Mr. Tài said that even when there are unusual storms or unfortunate accidents, like being hit by a boat…, those who hear the news often hide it from the bạn chòi. “Because finding people for this job is really hard now. The profession is too harsh, so many people are afraid,” Mr. Tài confided.
Lives “win some, lose some”
For many years now, there have been occasional reports of bạn chòi accidents in the Southwest sea region, mostly falling into the sea. The lucky ones get rescued, but not everyone is so fortunate, so many seafarers are terrified of the bạn chòi profession. “If something happens on a boat, we can still run to the mainland or dock at an island. But living on a hut in the middle of the sea—if anything goes wrong, we’re done for,” Nguyễn Nhật Hiện (40 years old, fisherman from Khánh Hải Commune, Trần Văn Thời District, Cà Mau) shuddered when we asked about the bạn chòi job.
“It’s all for the sake of a living, uncle. Wherever there’s a job that makes money, people will do it,” bạn chòi Trần Minh Hơi (38 years old, from Trà Vinh) said quickly amid cigarette smoke, as if he had the answer ready when we asked about his profession. Without us prompting, he shook his head: “The hardship of earning a living is nothing. Falling into the sea—that’s what scares me…”. Hearing Hơi speak, the three other bạn chòi burst into laughter. Hơi recounted: “Just last month, some fishing boats speeding recklessly crashed straight into the net line. One guy sleeping in the hut didn’t have time to react and drifted away!”
The story told by bạn chòi Trần Minh Hơi is not rare, but the calm way he narrated it leaves listeners uneasy. It seems he’s trying to appear composed, ready for the dangerous environment that could strike at any moment.
There are too many reasons for sudden misfortunes to befall bạn chòi, with storms collapsing huts being a constant fear. Almost every year, some bạn chòi die because their huts collapse. However, the massive collapse in November 2009 remains the biggest nightmare for bottom-net fishermen in Ngọc Hiển District. A single thunderstorm knocked down nearly 450 net mouths belonging to people in three communes: Tam Giang, Tân Ân, and Rạch Gốc. 67 bạn chòi fell into the sea. Fortunately, local authorities and border guards organized timely boat searches and rescued 65 people, bringing them back to land.
“We can still prepare for whirlwinds. The scariest is being rammed by a boat at midnight while sleeping—no time to react, and you’re dead in an instant,” bạn chòi Huỳnh Quốc Tuấn confessed. Almost every year in the Cà Mau sea area, there are incidents of fishing boats or cargo ships crashing into the bottom-net lines. Tuấn recounted that previously, a net line outside Hòn Khoai Island was hit by a cargo ship, throwing the bạn chòi into the sea. Luckily, a nearby fishing boat rescued them. “Many unlucky cases just have to accept it, bro. Like my friend who fell into the sea and has been missing ever since…,” Tuấn said.
According to Mr. Nguyễn Thành Tài, bottom-net owners usually monitor weather information very carefully. If bad weather is forecast, boats from the mainland will go out to bring the bạn chòi back to shore. “Waves at level 4 or 5, and we already call the bạn chòi back. However, there are also unforeseen accidents that the owners can’t predict. When an accident happens, the bạn chòi’s life is a matter of ‘win some, lose some’,” Mr. Tài said.
Usually, net owners don’t pay salaries to bạn chòi but share according to the net mouths. For every 6 net mouths caught, the bạn chòi gets 1 mouth. “If we hit it big, it’s 500,000 or 300,000 VND a day. If we miss, the wife and kids on land have to borrow money,” bạn chòi Quách Phi said.
Mr. Lý Hoàng Tiến, Party Secretary of Đất Mũi Commune (Ngọc Hiển District)—a locality with many people working in bottom-net fishing—said that recently, thanks to better communication conditions, in cases of illness, rough seas, or storms…, information can be sent from the sea to the mainland for rescue. “However, lurking accidents can’t be predicted. And the bạn chòi profession is the one most prone to dangers,” Mr. Tiến added.
According to Thanh Niên
