Cage fish farming on the second largest hydroelectric reservoir in Nghe An

The number of households and fish cages on Hua Na Hydropower Reservoir has increased rapidly in recent years. In 2014, there were only about 10 households with 50 fish cages, but now there are more than 64 households with more than 270 fish cages. Photo: Ho Phuong

Since the Hua Na hydroelectric reservoir was filled with water to generate electricity, up to now, 64 households with 270 fish cages in 2 communes: Thong Thu and Dong Van (Que Phong district) have been cared for and supported with fish breeds, built net cages to raise fish, created jobs, helping people here soon stabilize their lives in the area of ​​the second largest hydroelectric reservoir in Nghe An province.

As one of the pioneers in raising fish in Hua Na hydroelectric reservoir, Mr. Luong Van Thai (born in 1963) in Dong Tien hamlet, Dong Van commune shared: "Realizing that the lake water is clear all year round, with proactive food sources and a large water surface area, very favorable for raising fish, I and some other households have invited each other to raise sea bass, black carp, tilapia, etc. to have a source of income and stabilize our lives."

According to Mr. Thai, in the beginning, due to lack of techniques and experience, most fish farming households encountered many difficulties. "When the weather changed, fish diseases appeared, but because we did not have the knowledge and techniques, it led to mass fish deaths and many risks," Mr. Thai added.

Many investment policies and fish cage replacements have brought great efficiency to the people of Dong Van and Thong Thu communes, Que Phong district. Photo: Ho Phuong

Later, the district and province paid attention and opened specialized training courses on fish farming, along with the experience gained during the farming process, so households gradually stabilized. The cage system was also gradually changed. Previously, fish cages were often made from bamboo and wood materials, but now they are made from a system of steel pipes and very sturdy mesh, which can be used for a long time, keep the animals secure and are easy to move to many different areas.

Sharing his experience in raising fish, Mr. Thai said: “Depending on the type of fish, there will be different ways of caring for and feeding. Types such as tilapia, silver carp, and grass carp are mainly fed grass and forest leaves. As for types of bass, climbing fish, and catfish, they often eat ditch fish caught right in the lake. In the summer, there are many ditch fish, so take advantage of catching and drying them to store food for raising fish in the winter."

According to those who raise fish in Hua Na Lake, the hardest part is when the fish are still small, the food for them must be minced or ground and mixed with corn flour and fed three times a day. When there are symptoms of fungal disease, red spots appear on the scales, and for catfish, the skin will gradually rot and decompose, they must be taken out and put in a separate container to soak in potassium permanganate for about 10-15 minutes and then released back into the cage. To prevent disease, bags of lime should be hung regularly in the fish cages, changing them every 10 days.

People make their own nets to save on investment costs for cage fish farming in Que Phong. Photo: Diep Phuong

Mr. Tran Van Thuan (born in 1978) is the household with the largest number of fish cages in this hydroelectric lake area with 30 large and small cages. Four years ago, his family came here to make a living by fishing on the lake, and here they got involved in cage fish farming. In early 2015, seeing a household selling 3 fish cages at a cheap price, Mr. Thuan bought them to try raising them, earning a profit of 30 million VND in the first batch. Excited by the successful start, he boldly borrowed more capital to invest in building more cages and fish fry. Currently, Thuan's family has nearly 6 tons of fish, including some species such as catfish and tilapia that are about to be sold.

Resting next to the fish cages he was harvesting, Mr. Thuan excitedly said: “In the lake, there are many species of fish with high economic value that people have invested in developing, among which sea bass is the species that brings the highest economic efficiency, because this fish species not only has fragrant, delicious meat but also has a nutritional content superior to other fish species. In 2017 alone, my family earned more than 100 million VND from a sea bass cage.”

The main food source for fish in hydroelectric reservoirs is ditch fish caught in large nets. Photo: Diep Phuong

“In addition to the advantages and benefits, cage fish farming is facing some difficulties such as: The source of food for fish in winter is reduced, the product brand has not been built yet and solving the product output is the most urgent problem.” – Mr. Thuan added.

Mr. Luong Thai Quy - Chairman of Dong Van Commune People's Committee, Que Phong District said: "Exploiting the potential of cage fish farming on Hua Na hydroelectric lake has contributed to creating jobs and increasing income for people. Along with that, it also exploits the potential of the lake to create a source of clean, high-quality food. Therefore, every year, the local government pays attention and supports each household from 10 to 15 million VND depending on each project to expand and build more fish cages".

Mr. Tran Van Thuan is harvesting fish. Photo: Ho Phuong

However, according to Mr. Quy, there are still many obstacles in solving the output because the fish farming households are mainly fragmented and small, the cost is still high, not competitive with the market price. Local leaders are trying to find output for the products so that people can develop with peace of mind.