Thursday, June 15, 2006

Fish Supply

Nghi Tam- fish supply

Nghi Tam village is a very popular place for flowers and fish, especially fighting fish. I see hundreds of people driving past my house everyday with lots of tiny plastic bags containing fish hanging on long sticks.

Nghi Tam- fish supply

As you can see in the pictures, the breeders put these fish in beer bottles or soft drink bottles which are chopped off at the top or in big concrete pools. I wondered why there were so many bottles around their houses until today. I went along to one of my neighbours and bought three fish and I started talking to them. This is one of the traditional trades which has been going on here for over 50 years. The seller told me that she sells hundreds of fighting fish everyday because this is summer time so lots of kids come to buy them to play with at home.

Nghi Tam- fish supply

To actually make the fish fight, people shake the bottle which has two fishes in it and then stop and look at their fishes fighting each other. I asked people and they said that "shaking the bottle makes the fish drunk then they will fight even stronger". It's a bit strange, probably cruel, and not really something I would do. My three fish are in separate bowls.

Nghi Tam- fish supply

Most fighting fish are sold at about 1 year old. There are lots of different colors. Some are imported from Thailand then they are mixed with Vietnamese fish. One fighting fish costs from 10,000Vnd and gold fish cost 20,000Vnd depending on the size. You can choose fish from the bottles which are smaller than the fish arranged on the shelves If you buy them on the street, they are a bit more expensive.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

very interesting, yes I have heard of fighting fish, and have seen them in pet stores and on tv, however the bottles really grab my interest...

I would love to see some video footage , you checked out Freevlog? Do a google search, there you can find a free and easy way to post video to your blog...it is really very easy, perhaps you already know??

BionicBuddha said...

It might seem kind of brutal to many people to make these fish fight. It is similar to society's obsession with the sport of boxing, only the consequences of the outcome is the right of the animal to live.




www.bionicbuddha.com

Monika said...

aww

poor fish =(

Anonymous said...

Beach , the game you mentioned is "tat Lon" "Sweep the Can" , WE play it by hitting a Can with our flip flop.
I used to own a fighting fish when i was young . Mine is a red and white one , a special at that time since the other fighting fishes is deep blue with a touch of red . My fish was a champion until one day it met its match . THe other fish lost and my fish was too injured to live. After that, i honored my fish by not buying or fightting any more fish.
Talked about brutal , what about bull fighting or even dog racing ? If a grayhound can not race anymore, they are either killed or starved to death .
But the fight fish , it is their nature to fight like that in wild life.

Anonymous said...

I love fish fighting when I was young and lived in Saigon. I used to have lot of fish at home ready to take them around to fight with other fishes in my neighborhood. This much more entertaining than any video/computer game now-a-day. The other cruel part aside from the actual fighting is tending the wounds for the fish after the fight so that the fish may have a chance to survive after the "beating". This usually involve rubbing salt to the fish body to avoid infection....talk about adding salt to the wound......but it usually save the fish's live..for another fight that is :) I don't think most of the people in the US or Europe now about fish fighting. It probably illegal in the US since cock fighting & pit bull fighting are prohibited by law.

junebee said...

So, you guys aren't watching the World Cup, are you?!

In the U.S., the animal rights whackos would be right on your case about fish-fighting. Although it seems alot cheaper than video games.

Writer and Nomad said...

they sell those here too. only they sell them in a vase with a nice plant on top. a lot of people have them in their offices. i always thought it seemed sad--a life in a tiny vase on someone's desk. then, i found out why they were always in their own container. i had no idea these beautiful fish were so mean. :)
now i know.

Van Cong Tu said...

Hi Beach, i only play tien len sometimes with friends, I dont know how to play xap xam and tat Long :)
Nathan Miller, I will try to figure out and do it soon. Thanks.
Nicola, poor fish but fun to watch, sorry:)
Anonymous,ThinkingVN, thanks.
junebee I dont really like foot ball :) but I watch sometimes.
April, if you ever go to Viet Nam, i would love to show you around.

Anonymous said...

is it illeageal in the us caus i am curentley living there

Unknown said...

here is a post i found. my name is Ryan you can see my thoughts on the matter. http://nippyfish.blogspot.com/2007/04/stand-up-against-betta-fighting-on.html#c8620663208271865699

Anonymous said...

To fight any living creature is cruel, thank god its illegal in Australia. I think anyone who enjoys this kind of sport is not right mentally and should seek help!

puertas metalicas en valencia said...

Really useful information, thanks so much for the article.