Since early 5th lunar month, residents of Thanh Thuy fishing village located in Binh Chau Commune, Binh Son District, Quang Ngai Province, have been busy collecting sargassum seaweed. They not only use basket boats but also build foam rafts to harvest ‘the gift of the sea’.
This type of seaweed reproduces and develops naturally along the beaches of Mui Ba Lang An and Ganh Yen in Binh Chau Commune. It grows in coral reefs and underwater rocks and often emerges from the water surface once fully grown, resembling an underwater forest.
By conducting many inshore trips from early morning to late afternoon, one basket boat/foam raft can collect 4-5 quintals of fresh sargassum seaweed, helping fishermen earn extra income of VND30-40 million/month.
Let’s enjoy some amazing photos about the harvesting of sargassum seaweed taken by our freelance photographer Nguyen Trinh.
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| Fishermen set their net traps to collect sargassum seaweed and keep them not being swept away by sea water. |
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| If sargassum seaweed is not harvested, it will get old and wash up on the shores, causing environmental pollution. |
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| Layers of the sargassum seaweed resemble an 'underwater golden forest'. |
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| The clear blue water of Ganh Yen Beach mixed with the yellow colour of seaweed creates a beautiful natural picture. |
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| The current prices of dried sargassum seaweed are ranging from VND7,000 to VND7,500 per kilo. The best time to harvest the seaweed is from June 1 to November 30 every year. |
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| A lighthouse at the Ba Lang An Cape is also an ideal place for tourists to catch a glimpse of the sunrise at sea. |
Reporting by DNO - Translating by M.DUNG
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