The "nanny" people in the place containing 1.45 billion cubic meters of water

(Dan Tri) - In Cua Dat irrigation reservoir (Thanh Hoa), there are 50 workers who work as hired fish caretakers. This "nanny" job for fish, although drifting with the water, brings a relatively stable income.

More than 50km west of Thanh Hoa city center, Cua Dat reservoir in Thuong Xuan district, Thanh Hoa province is a large irrigation and hydroelectric reservoir. Cua Dat reservoir has a capacity of 1.45 billion m3 of water, and a surface area of ​​31km2.

In recent years, with beautiful landscapes and clear blue water, in addition to serving irrigation and hydroelectricity, Cua Dat Lake is being exploited to develop cage fish farming associated with sightseeing tourism services.

According to a report from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Thuong Xuan district, there are currently 138 fish cages in Cua Dat lake, with an estimated output of more than 250 tons of fish per year and a total revenue of more than 25 billion VND.

Cage fish farming in Cua Dat Lake not only brings high economic efficiency but also creates jobs for many local workers . Currently, there are 50 regular workers and 35 seasonal workers working in cage fish farming for hire.

The job of taking care of fish in cages has a stable income but requires workers to be healthy, have experience in water and especially have a good grasp of fish care techniques.

Having many years of experience in taking care of fish in Cua Dat Lake, Mr. Vi Van Ha (35 years old, residing in Yen Nhan Commune, Thuong Xuan District) is currently the "nanny" taking care of 20 fish cages of the Cua Dat Lake Aquaculture Service Cooperative.

Mr. Ha's daily job is to take care of and feed the fish, he feeds the fish three times a day. Mr. Ha said that the fish raised in Cua Dat Lake are mainly catfish and red tilapia. In addition to feeding the fish, Mr. Ha regularly monitors the water source and the living habits of the fish.

According to Mr. Ha, taking care of fish is extremely hard work, especially on stormy days. "The nature of the job is drifting along the water, we spend more time in the water than on the shore. There are days when it rains heavily, the wind is strong, the lake surface is wavy, making the whole cage and my hut sway. On sunny days, the steam rises from the lake surface, making it very hot.

However, when the weather is erratic, fish keepers must constantly monitor to see if the fish cages are damaged, the nets are torn, or if the fish's health is affected, in order to handle the situation promptly," Mr. Ha shared.

According to Mr. Ha, fish in Cua Dat hydroelectric reservoir often suffer from diseases such as gill fibrosis and skin fungus. Fish farmers must master the techniques to regularly check and have timely treatment regimens whenever fish get sick.

In addition to feeding the fish, taking care of the water source is also a very important job. On hot days, Mr. Ha has to be on duty to treat the water source and install machines to add oxygen to the fish.

Due to the nature of their job, fish cage keepers have a difficult daily life. They mainly use solar power. In addition to the hardships in daily life, fish cage keepers also face a lot of mental pressure.

"Because of our work on the river, we rarely go home. There are nights when I sit alone in the hut and miss home and my family. At times like that, I often call home to ask about my family," Ha confided.

Mr. Nguyen Van Sinh, Director of Cua Dat Lake Aquaculture Service Cooperative, said that each fish cage farm will have from 1 to 3 workers to take care of and feed the fish. Each worker will be provided with daily food and drink, with a fixed average salary of 7 million VND/person/month.

Currently, there are 50 workers working regularly on Cua Dat Lake. Although the work of taking care of and raising fish in cages is hard, it brings a stable source of income.

Dantri.com.vn