Protected area for natural fish on the Tiền River, along the An Thạnh embankment in Đồng Tháp Province’s Hồng Ngự Ward. – VNA/VNS Photo Nhựt An

ĐỒNG THÁP – Local authorities and residents of Hồng Ngự Ward in Đồng Tháp Province are making efforts to safeguard the natural fish population in the Tiền River to restore aquatic resources and establish an attractive tourism destination.

At the An Thạnh embankment area along the Tiền River, a tributary of the Mekong River, a shoal of various freshwater fish species has appeared for more than one year, and local officials and residents have taken measures to protect the fish and feed them daily.

The ward established a community-based fisheries protection group in July 2024, with more than 70 members.

This group collaborates closely with authorities and local people to install bamboo fences around the fish habitat, cultivate water hyacinths as shelter for the fish, set up surveillance cameras, conduct patrols, release fish for stock replenishment, and feed the natural fish daily.

Awareness campaigns have been intensified, with residents actively participating in protection efforts and contributing food for the fish.

Nguyễn Thái Bằng, a resident of Hồng Ngự Ward, said he was delighted to see a shoal of natural fish inhabiting in the area.

He regularly collects leftover food from local eateries to feed them, believing that if the fish have a safe habitat and enough to eat, they will continue to make this place their home, he said.

Trần Ngọc Hùng from Hồng Ngự takes great pride in showcasing this unique local feature to friends near and far.

He invites visitors to observe the fish shoal, calls on support for industrial fish feed donations, and collects vegetable and fruit waste from markets to prepare food for the fish, he said.

The natural fish shoal has an estimated total weight of tens of tonnes. They are mostly large tra catfish each weighing two kilogrammes or more.

Being well-protected and regularly fed, the fish are remarkably tame, attracting many visitors who come to release fish as part of traditional ceremonies.

At the end of 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), in partnership with the People’s Committees of Đồng Tháp, An Giang provinces and Cần Thơ City, chose this site to hold a fish release ceremony aimed at replenishing aquatic stocks.

At the ceremony, about 200,000 juvenile fish of various species, including spotted barb, giant barb, tra catfish, silver carp, striped catfish, red tilapia and loach, were released into the Tiền River.

Visitors take part in feeding natural fish on the Tiền River, along the An Thạnh embankment in Đồng Tháp Province’s Hồng Ngự Ward. – VNA/VNS Photo Nhựt An

Cao Sói Mũi, who lives in the US, recently returned to Việt Nam and visited the natural fish school with her family. She said although she had heard about the fish before, but was still surprised and delighted to see that there were far more than she had imagined.

What she enjoyed most was the hands-on experience of feeding them, she said, adding that as soon as the food hit the water, the fish surfaced to snap it up, creating a joyful and lively scene.

The natural fish shoal at An Thạnh embankment is also a highlight of the province’s “Colours of the Border” tourism programme.

Under the programme’s two-day and one-night tour, tourists can explore several border localities, including the Giồng Thị Đam – Gò Quản Cung Victory Monument, Nam Hương Ecological Garden, Long Khánh scarf weaving village, tra catfish farming areas, and the Mộc Rá border post under Bình Thạnh Border Guard Station.

According to Nguyễn Thanh Phong, chairman of the ward's People’s Committee, the natural fish population at An Thạnh embankment continues to grow thanks to local protection efforts.

The authorities have actively promoted awareness among residents about the importance of safeguarding the fish and encouraging food donations, he said.

Strict bans are enforced against illegal fishing activities of any kind within the approximately 3-kilometre stretch from Sở Thượng Bridge to Nguyễn Tất Thành Bridge, he said.  

The emergence of this natural fish shoal not only brings joy to local people but also contributes to the restoration of aquatic resources and the development of tourism, he said. – VNS