Lao river runs deep with nature's rich bounty

Many years ago, Lao people were used to live along the riverside. They could find everything they needed in the river and in the surrounding forests, like food and medicines. Nowadays, things have changed as you can find restaurants and shopping centers everywhere. However, lots of Lao people still prefer to be around a river and catch some of its fresh bounty. 

As it is rainy season now, various people go back to the rivers to go fishing. So did Mr. Seeva Luangaphai, a local man fishing in the Ngum River. The fisherman makes use of a traditional Lao fishing device that is called a lop; a bamboo frame with netting stretched over it. Fishes enter this net via the wide mouth and cannot go out anymore. These tricks are set all along the rivers and will be checked by the fishermen every morning to land catches. The lops are not the only tools Lao fishermen use to catch fishes. They use relatively simple instruments like hooks, nets and other type of small traps as well. All this equipment is environmentally sustainable and is not harming other aquatic animals. Local fishermen continue using these traditional devices to make sure that future generations will also be able to catch fishes form the rivers. 

Once the fishermen have caught their fishes, a wide range of traditional Lao dishes can be made (e.g. soup, grilled fish or laap). 

Information source: Vientiane Times.