Fishing for a family atmosphere

Lin Youhui is revered as the “barefoot Santa” by members of the Chinese People’s Armed Police frontier defense division in Sansha, Yongxing Island.

The 70-something fisherman regularly wades waist-deep and barefoot into the coastal waters to catch sea creatures, from oysters to lobsters, with his bare hands.

He loads his catch, usually eight to 10 kilograms, onto his threewheeler and sells it to the division “for next to nothing”, said Yang Xiaolong, 33, the division’s deputy director.

“Some of his catch, such as grouper fish, could easily fetch thousands in upscale restaurants,” he said. “But Lin sells his catch so cheaply that it’s practically free — and he only sells to us.”

Lin has been supplying the division with fresh seafood for the last decade. “The reason is simple,” said Feng Mingfang, 53, the community director for Yongxing residents. “The residents and the guards are one big family.”

Feng, who has lived on the island for 27 years, has seen how the standard of living has improved “dramatically” over the years.

“We used to be scared of typhoons, because they could tear the roofs off our wooden homes and destroy our fishing boats,” he said. “Now, the frontier guards help us to reinforce our homes and boats, so we have nothing to fear.”

The guards also hold seminars and provide the l ocal people with classes designed to keep them safe, according to Feng: “Last year, we even had a class on how to identify telemarketing scams. It was very helpful, especially now that we have cellphones and i nternet on t he island.”

In addition to providing security services, the guards also distribute books and medicine, and movies are screened outdoors every week. In return, the fishermen provide food as well as keeping the division informed about changes on the ocean and sightings of ships.

“The relation is mutually beneficial,” Yang said. “Helping the locals gives us a sense of human warmth so rarely felt in this harsh environment. It keeps us focused and down to earth.”