Senior fisherman Tran Van Nam, 68, from Nha Trang, can’t go to sea anymore, but he can collect seaweed.

Seaweed-collecting boats often leave shore at 4am. Around 4-5 men per boat collect seaweed around 10km from shore. To have seaweed, they must dive to depths of 5-6 meters.

Seaweed collectors return home at 11am. They carry seaweed to the coast to dry.

Drying seaweed is the gentlest work and only women do it. The harder task – diving to collect seaweed – is for men.

Nam explained that his group collects around 300kg of seaweed, earning around 150,000 dong ($8) per person.