On July 11, 2006, a fishing boat belonging to Mrs. Nguyễn Thị Mừng, residing in Trần Đề Port, Trung Bình Commune, Long Phú District, caught a large fish near Con Dao and brought it back to Trần Đề Port (photo).
Large fish caught near Con Dao (Photo: baocantho)
According to the fishermen, the boat set sail early in the morning and when it reached the designated area, they began to cast their nets around 8 AM when the gigantic fish appeared and got caught. Upon being ensnared, the fish tore through the net and thrashed about for a while, eventually tiring and becoming sluggish within the tangled ropes and net. The fish was so heavy that when the fishermen attempted to lift it aboard, the crane broke. However, since the fish was exhausted, the crew quickly tied it with ropes and lowered it back into the water to tow it to the port. The fish had a mouth like a shark and a back and fins resembling a whale, leading everyone to speculate about its species.
By the evening of July 11, when the tide went down, the locals were able to clearly see the fish, which measured over 5 meters in length, weighed more than a ton, and was black with spots near its tail, lying on the riverbank at Trần Đề Port. By the time it reached the port, the fish had died. Many veteran fishermen noted that although it was a large fish, it belonged to the category of watery fish (similar to the sweetfish), which has little market value. Due to its high water content in the flesh, it is also referred to as “Sà Sứa fish” (like the sea jellyfish). Despite its size, the fish was very docile and did not attack humans. This type of fish used to be abundant in the East Sea but is now rare and seldom seen.
Mr. Nguyễn Văn Hòa, Head of the Trần Đề Fisheries Control Station under the Department of Fisheries of Sóc Trăng Province, stated that this fish belongs to the shark family (related to sharks and sperm whales) but is very gentle and rarely caught by fishermen. This is also the first instance of fishermen bringing this type of fish to port.
NGUYỄN TẤN
