Viet Nam News AN GIANG – When the food first hits the water, a school of tra fish appears, eager to eat. The fish ‘belong’ to Phạm Văn Cường, 64, commonly known as Năm Cường, in Vĩnh Ngươn District, Châu Đốc City in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang. For four years, Cường has taken care of the natural fish school on the Vĩnh Ngươn River, an undertaking that began with a twist of fate. Under his floating house swim thousands of fish, making the area look like any one of the Mekong Delta’s thousands of fish cages. In 2014, Cường retired from his logging business as his sons and daughters had all settled down. He set up a holiday house by Vĩnh Ngươn River, a branch of the Hậu River and made it a place to gather with friends and enjoy nature. At first, Cường submerged dried tree branches in the river to lure fish for his friends to watch. As he did not catch them, day after day, more and more fish gathered near Cường’s house, waiting to be fed. Trần Văn Phi, Cường’s neighbor, told Thanh niên (Young people) newspaper that local residents doubted Cường’s fish farming techniques. No way could anyone gather such a huge group of fish, they thought. Cường proved them wrong, but even he was perplexed. “I don’t know why only tra fish stay. Other species come for food then leave,” he said. Nature protector As the school of fish grew bigger,… [Read full story]
Leave a Reply