In the past, women of the Khang ethnic group in Muong Muon commune, Muong Cha district, Dien Bien province had a fairly popular profession of weaving fishing nets. However, up to now, this profession is in danger of disappearing from the community's life.
Mrs. Quang Thi Pang in Muong Muon commune is a skilled fisherman, who used to have a stable income from the job. But now, the nets that Mrs. Pang makes are very difficult to sell, sometimes she can only sell a few in a year. For her, weaving nets is now just a habit, to ease her longing for the job.
Mrs. Pang shared: “In the past, we sold everything we made. People bought fishing nets to go fishing in rivers, streams and family ponds. But now, few people buy them. We just leave them there, and only once in a while someone comes to buy them.”
Fishing in the Northwest is no longer favorable and has changed a lot compared to the past.
The inability to sell fishing products has caused this profession to gradually disappear in the community, mainly only the elderly who are no longer able to work in the fields still follow the profession. “Nowadays, there are not many fish in the rivers and streams, and in the dry season there is a lack of water, so where can we get fish? Without fish, people do not buy fishing nets anymore. Not to mention that fishermen use more modern means than fishing nets, so there are even fewer buyers for their products,” said Ms. Lo Thi Duyen, a resident of Muong Muon commune.
The fishing nets produced cannot be sold, causing the fishing net weaving profession of the Khang women in Muong Muon commune, Muong Cha, Dien Bien to be at risk of disappearing.
Previously, the fishing nets produced by the Khang women were favored by consumers because of their sophistication and sturdiness. Their products were not only consumed in the surrounding area but also sold to distant provinces such as Son La, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, etc. From there, the women had more jobs and income.
Traditional handicrafts are fading and disappearing, affecting the income of Khang women, causing difficulties in life, especially for older women.
Ms. Doan Lan Huong, President of the Women's Union of Muong Cha district, said: "The women of the Khang ethnic group in Muong Cha have long been good at weaving, including net weaving. Recently, this profession has encountered difficulties because the products cannot be sold. In addition to the reason that people rarely use nets to catch fish and shrimp, another reason is that people are not familiar with widely promoting their products to outside markets."
According to Ms. Huong, the District Women's Union has also actively promoted and encouraged women to change their thinking and working methods, especially applying methods to promote agricultural products and traditional handicrafts on technology platforms and social networks to reach a wide consumer market. "Our goal is that traditional occupations, including the fishing net weaving profession of the Khang women, will continue to be maintained and developed sustainably, contributing to solving difficulties in life," said Ms. Huong.
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