Mekong Fishermen: The Lost Traditions of Vietnam

There was an ancient tradition many years ago in the Mekong Delta. Man used to go fishing with the otters. Of this, there remains only lost legends. The last man who remembered fishing with the otters disappeared one day without leaving any trace. And those who knew him told us his story. Lam is the only son of Bao. He has never left his father. Bao survived the war and remained faithful to the ancient traditions and to the time when man lived in peace with nature. Two years ago, he found Lutra. She was caught in a trap set by the fishermen. She was very young and he saved her. At first, it was just a tender wounds and then she stayed and he kept her. But it cannot last. It is too dangerous for her here. Bao's family were fishermen from father to son. Fishermen with the otters. It lasted till his youth and then, of course, everything changed. The otters disappeared and Bao became a peasant. His wife died when Lam was just a child and since then it was their neighbor, Flower of Heaven, who looked after them. Every evening she prepares their meals. Bao raised his child the best way he could. He would have liked him to marry and Flower of Heaven would have made a good wife. But Lam refuses to grow up. He is only interested in animals. No, pick up a falling chopstick. It brings bad luck. The otter is a wild animal. She loves her freedom. To gain her confidence, the fishermen of the past had a secret. It was the taste of cooked fish. The otter gets used to this type of food and returns constantly. No need to put her on a lead. The other advantage is that she does not eat the fish she catches. In these muddy waters, thanks to her sensitive whiskers, Lutra detects the vibrations of the fish and when she spots one, there's not a fisherman who could match her speed. Fish! Fish! Bao wants to rely on no one. He cultivates his rice and Lutra provides him with the fish he needs. In the district, everyone takes him for an old fool. But Bao doesn't care what the others think of him. He never goes out except for his massage once a week, which has lasted for 50 years. It's his medicine, a ritual which he's never failed to follow. Lutra uses a considerable amount of energy every day to play into fish. The otter needs to play. It is vital, and if you ignore her, she will seek other playgrounds. An otter in liberty is in danger, particularly if she's not afraid of men. Today, people don't really fish. They produce their fish in ponds. In consequence, they don't want the presence of the otters. The fishermen poison them, capture them to sell them and trap them for their pelts and their meat. Today, they eat the otters. Lutra is an adult. She can look after herself. If she stays here, they won't let her grow old. One day, for sure, she will be captured. She has to return to nature so that she can die a natural death, like Mitra, the old daughter of the family. Bao has never known Mitra, but her fur has an enormous power which has been handed down from generation to generation. There's Lam to whom we have to explain all this. There's Flower of Heaven and the child she carries, and there's Lutra that we have to take to a place where she can survive with no fears. Three destinies to be guided the best possible way. Otters have a gift of nature. They can delay the birth of their offspring, a power that the women use by protecting their unborn child with the pelts of the otters. An heritage which will protect Flower of Heaven for her and her husband and for their future child. As for Lutra, one has to find a place where she can reproduce. There are too many people around. Lutra doesn't eat any more cooked fish. She has to contend herself by eating what she catches. Oh, my God. It's jumping down. Oh, my God. It's a shrimp. I'm sorry. Leave the shrimp to me. Here, put it in. Thank you. Bao has chosen a forest that resembles one of past times. Lutra could be safe here. She will start by marking her territory with her scent, and she will remain within these limits. Hey, Lutra. Lutra. It's here. It's here. Lutra. See? I knew you would come back. Lutra. It's not the right place. Perhaps territory of another otter, or the fear of some sort of danger. Must go further south, away from the humans, much further away from the humans. Otters have in common with man the nimbleness of their hands. But the otters are short-sighted, and they use their hands as we would use our eyes, so sensitive that they have the power to feel the world around them. Lutra feels the world around her, but she doesn't always understand it. Lutra has to be taken care of as soon as possible. Bao remembers Mingue, a healer that he knew in his childhood. Mingue has always retained the secret of the plants, but never unveils her magic powers. Natural safe havens don't exist anymore. The humans are everywhere. They have explored all the rivers and all the forests, but none are uninhabited anymore. Mingue remembers a song about a kingdom, an island lost in the confines of the delta. There where the rivers meet, there where the wind blows, and the water swirls, and where men never go, it is called the island of the otters. The otters are alone in the night, standing on the road. Excuse me, where is the girl? The girl who saved the king. Ah, over there. Over there? Thank you. Thank you very much. There where the rivers meet, there where the wind blows, the island of a thousand flowers and rare fruits, it's the end of the journey. Lutra will never hear a human voice again. On this island of peace, she could live another 15 years in freedom. On the banks of the river, there are hundreds of cavities where the otters make their burrows. Lutra is sure to find an otter to mate with. Once she has made her choice, she will form a family and could give birth to three or four baby otters every six months. In 15 years, that's an awful lot of otters. Otters have no memory. In three days, Lutra will have forgotten everything and the tradition is lost. Soon it will even be forgotten that men and otters went fishing together. It's not working. Dad, dad, dad. What are you doing? It's so funny. It's all wet. But the fish is dry. Ever since that day, nobody has ever seen Bao, Lam or Lutra and her mate again. Certain fishermen say that they have heard their voices in the wind at the point of the delta. But who can believe in imaginary voices?