Bumper shrimp sauce of life in Thua Thien-Hue

These past three days, fishing boats crowd Thuan An estuary in Hai Duong Commune of Huong Tra Township.

From early morning, fisherfolk from Phu Thuan Commune in Phu Vang District head out in bamboo fishing vessels to catch small shrimp, using a triangular tight-knit net. Once there is a sizable stack of shrimp, fishers lower the net and scoop the gains into the boat. On average, one vessel catches 100-200 kilograms worth VND2 million ($85) each morning.

This year, the crustaceans gather in abundance near the shore. Many fishing boats carry over ten fishermen to steer hundreds-of-meter-long close-knit fishing nets.

On the other hand, some fisherfolk in Hai Duong Commune of Huong Tra Township opt instead for a manual fishing method, using a smaller-scale snare trap.

Ho Van Cu, a 70-year-old fisherman from Hai Duong Commune, catches shrimp using a 20-meter-long net contraption with a five-meter-long built-in receptacle. The fisherman trudges the water himself to bag the shrimp. After two hours of laboring, Cu and his neighbor collectively reap over a hundred kilograms of fresh bumper shrimp.

When shrimp season arrives, locals see it as a sign the season of mackerel scads, sardines, and squid is on its way.

After 10 minutes casting their net close to shore, two fishermen in Hai Duong Commune smile broadly with a few dozen kilograms of small shrimp.

Freshly caught shrimp is later sold the same day to local traders for VND10,000 ($0.4) per kilogram. Sun-dried krill is sold for VND150,000 ($6.3) per kilogram.

Shrimp caught by the shoreline tend to have debris, sand, and moss. Thus, fisherfolk have to sift through baskets of shrimp before selling or drying them.

Making use of the sunny weather, Vo To, a 60-year-old fisherman from Hai Duong Commune, lays out his freshly caught shrimp on the beach to dry.

"I caught so much shrimp that it's hard for me to lug them over the sand. It’s much more convenient to dry them now and bring the dried shrimp home instead in the afternoon. With the blazing sun, it would only take a day for the shrimp to dry," said To.

Shrimps are thoroughly cleansed of moss and debris before being used to make sauce or paste. Shrimp sauce is usually sold at VND100,000-200,000 ($4.2-8.5) per liter.

Shrimp is found in many local dishes such as congee or sautéed recipes with fresh vegetables.