The Story of Oyster Hunter

HUNTING Oysters are heavy work, in addition to spending time also can hurt the hands and feet of the hunters.

In addition to oyster shells are hard and a bit sharp, also because the oyster can not be seen clearly when in the river water.

Therefore, some people who have made oyster hunting as a livelihood, always wear shoes and gloves when doing oyster hunting in the river.

By wearing gloves, usually hunters will grope in the water to find oysters, which will be peeled cangkaknya using a special knife.

According to Suryati, an oyster hunter in the area of ​​Krueng Cut, Kecamatan, Baitussalam, Aceh Besar, the hunting of oysters is usually done when the water is receding. So they do not have to dive to get oysters, but just simply by squatting while hand groping the river bed.

"As long as the water receded, if you can squat to take oysters, we still do an oyster search," said Suryati.

Oyster search time is usually done during low tide, ie in the morning and evening.

"Usually up to 3 hours we are in the river, morning from 10 am to 1 pm, if the afternoon from 4 to 6 o'clock," said Suryati.

In a day, usually the hunters will bring home oysters up to 3 baskets. "Usually the 3 baskets after being put into a plastic measuring ½ kilogram, will produce as many as 7 plastic bags," said Suryati.

After feeling enough the oyster hunters will immediately raise the results obtained to peel the shell with a knife, oyster shell rather hard because it must use a knife, can not use empty hands.

After peeling, then the oysters are structured rather flexily, put into the cup, every oyster meat has filled one and a half cups, then put in a plastic package of ½ kilogram to be sold in stalls merchandise on the banks of the river, where he hunted oysters.

"One plastic if it is one and a half cups, it costs Rp 15.000, but if in two cups cost Rp 20,000," said Suryati.

In a day, Suryati said, he along with several other oyster seller, earned a profit of up to Rp 100,000, and not infrequently also within two days sometimes he earns up to Rp 400,000, it if there are orders from outside the region.

"It is our job every day here, we enggak there are other jobs only this, but Alhamdulillah sustenance is always there, goods Rp 100.000 in a day, insha Allah there, the cost of children's school and buy a motorcycle as well as from selling oysters, "Suryati said.

But not infrequently also if in a few days he along with some other oyster hunters can not run business as usual, often because of the weather is less friendly.

"Rain, the slightest wind we did not find oyster," said Suryati.

Until now, according to Suryati, oyster hunting results Citizens Gampong Krueng Cut, already worth exporting to Japan.

"There are often mesan to be sent to Jakarta, sometimes there are also sent to Japan, the oyster here is famous," said Suryati.