On a morning in late November, Truong Minh Hai, head of the Community Group for Aquatic Resource Protection in Hong Ngu, carried a bucket of feed down to the riverside near An Thanh embankment in Hong Ngu ward, Dong Thap province.

With a light tap of a bamboo stick on the riverbank, catfish began to surface, splashing as they eagerly awaited their meal.

Hai scooped handfuls of feed and scattered them across the water. A flurry of fish lunged upward, mouths open, snapping up the pellets as water churned around them.

The 70-year-old man then crouched by the water, holding a clump of feed just above the surface. Several fish rose to nibble straight from his hand as he gently stroked their backs - like pets.

This stretch of the An Thanh embankment runs nearly 2km and has long been a place for docking boats and community gatherings. Nearly two years ago, residents first noticed a few wild fish, mostly catfish and silver carp, lingering near the water hyacinths close to shore.

Initially, only a handful appeared. But when fed, more began to gather.

From dozens, their numbers grew into hundreds, then thousands, including species such as catfish, silver carp, common carp, and snakehead fish. Among them, catfish are the most numerous, each weighing between 2 to 10 kilograms.

“At first, maybe 20 or 30 fish came to the embankment in front of An Binh temple to ask for food. Once they were fed, they came back - and more followed,” Hai recalled.

“They used to hide in the water hyacinths, but would splash about at the sound of human voices. Curious, people kept feeding them. The next day, even more showed up. I think they sensed this place was safe.”

Since then, locals have built a floating habitat using bamboo poles, wooden stakes, and clusters of hyacinths to shelter the fish.

With daily feeding and no predators, the fish have grown remarkably tame. Visitors can reach into the water and touch them without frightening them off.

The fish now occupy a roughly 2,000-square-meter stretch of river enclosed by bamboo and timber. There are no nets below, allowing them to come and go freely. Floating hyacinths above provide shade, mimicking their natural habitat.

Some of the catfish even bear distinctive round white spots on their heads. “It looks like they’ve been stamped,” Hai joked. “Since the area lies in front of a temple, some even say the gods are marking them.”

Recognizing the significance of this phenomenon, the local government in July 2024 established a Community Group for Aquatic Resource Protection in Hong Ngu. The group now has more than 70 members, including 9 core volunteers who rotate shifts daily.

Members include representatives from the Women's Union, Farmers’ Association, Youth Union, and other local organizations.

Volunteers feed the fish, greet visitors, and educate the public on conservation. They also release additional fish to replenish the population and patrol the river to deter illegal fishing in the sanctuary zone.

To safeguard the fish day and night, the area is equipped with lights, cameras, and overnight monitoring.

This model has become a rare, community-led example of aquatic conservation in Vietnam.

Each day, the group feeds the fish around two bags of commercial pellets. In addition, residents donate surplus vegetables, spoiled fruits, and leftover food from restaurants to supplement their diet.

What began as a natural curiosity has transformed into a grassroots eco-tourism and conservation effort.

Truong Minh Hai, the group’s leader, has become a local celebrity among visitors.

Local officials believe the fish have ecological as well as tourism value. They are now working to promote the sanctuary as an experiential tourism product that encourages visitors to interact with and feed the fish - further uniting environmental stewardship and sustainable development.