"Western fish" raised in our country.

Coldwater fish (such as sturgeon and salmon) were traditionally farmed in Western countries, but for nearly a decade, Vietnam has successfully raised them commercially. However, few people know that bringing these cold-water fish species to Vietnam is a remarkable achievement for the aquaculture industry; and Mr. Nguyen Trong Cu, Director of Viet Duc Investment and Trading Company Limited, played a significant role in this success.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Cu (on the right) is inspecting the broodstock sturgeon.

A bold decision

Salmon and sturgeon, native to temperate regions, have high economic value. Successfully raising them in a tropical country like Vietnam is extremely difficult, but Nguyen Trong Cu has turned the impossible into the possible. Not long ago, the Vietnamese fisheries sector made an important announcement, paving the way for the domestic cold-water fish farming industry. This was the result of scientific research confirming that salmon and sturgeon can be raised and developed in Vietnam. One of the authors of this research is Dr. Le Thanh Luu, former Director of the Research Institute for Aquaculture I.

This important scientific announcement and the enthusiastic invitation from Dr. Le Thanh Luu prompted Nguyen Trong Cu to make the risky decision to invest in the aquaculture sector. The risk stemmed from the fact that the production and farming of salmon and sturgeon in Vietnam was new, and for Nguyen Trong Cu, it was a side job, as he was a lawyer with over 30 years of study and life in Germany. Furthermore, investing in this field was quite expensive, both financially and in terms of effort. Typically, 1 kg of sturgeon eggs costs around 150 million VND. Therefore, investing in farming would require tens of billions of VND. Knowing this, but because this fish species could be a breakthrough for aquaculture in mountainous regions, and he wanted to provide consumers with a delicious, clean, high-quality product, as well as a legitimate opportunity to get rich… he remained determined to pursue it.

...has succeeded

The biggest challenge in importing salmon and sturgeon eggs into Vietnam lies in the cumbersome and time-consuming procedures. To bring 1 kg of eggs into the country, close coordination with the German partner regarding the fertilization schedule is crucial for thorough preparation. Simultaneously, an import permit issued by the General Department of Fisheries is required, followed by inspections by CITES Germany and CITES Vietnam, quarantine permits in Germany and Vietnam, and then expedited customs clearance; otherwise, the eggs will spoil, resulting in significant losses. Furthermore, the journey from Noi Bai Airport to Sa Pa is fraught with danger and risk. However, despite these difficulties, Viet Duc Trading and Investment Co., Ltd. has become a pioneer in hatching and raising two species of Russian sturgeon using imported eggs in Sa Pa (Lao Cai), opening up prospects for high-quality aquaculture in the mountains. Following that success, in 2011, Nguyen Trong Cu decided to continue implementing the sturgeon farming project in Tam Dao (Vinh Phuc).

Not far from the Tam Dao hatchery is a commercial sturgeon farm with over 80 tanks, producing approximately 100 tons per year. The farm is meticulously maintained, with water levels and temperatures consistently kept at 18-22°C. It is projected that commercial sturgeon production will reach 200 tons per year in 2014. To date, Nguyen Trong Cu has invested over 25 billion VND in bringing the hatchery and commercial fish farm into operation – a considerable sum for sturgeon farming, not including the costs of technology transfer, training, and hiring experts.

The successful sturgeon and salmon farming industry brings high economic benefits, creates jobs for ethnic minorities in mountainous areas, contributes to poverty reduction, and protects water resources and headwater forests.

According to (Vietnam Fisheries) - LC