Promoting the potential of cage fish farming

(Baonghean) - In recent years, cage fish farming on hydroelectric reservoirs has been developing strongly with the number of fish cages increasing every year. Cage fish farming has contributed positively to job creation and improving the lives of people in remote areas. However, this activity is still spontaneous, not planned, not linked to environmental protection and has not created a stable consumption system.

With a large river system such as Nam Non River, Nam Mo River (Ky Son, Tuong Duong), Chu River (Que Phong) along with investment in the construction of hydroelectric projects, a series of reservoirs were formed, creating a strong development of cage fish farming in our province.

Typically, in Que Phong district, in 2012, after damming the river to store water for Hua Na Hydropower Plant, a large lake was formed, favorable for aquaculture. Taking advantage of that, Dong Van and Thong Thu communes developed fish cage farming on the Hua Na Hydropower Plant reservoir. From the initial results, it is shown that fish cage farming on the hydropower reservoir brings quite high income, so from the initial place where the whole district only had over 30 fish cages, now there are over 160 fish cages. After over 8 months of farming, the average fish yield reached 3 - 3.5 quintals of fish/cage, bringing in an income of 35 - 40 million VND/year.

Mr. Lang Van Thoai in Pu Khoong village (Khun Na 2) Dong Van commune, one of the households that "jointly" raise the most fish, is "trimming" fish to sell to customers on the lake and said: "Since 2013, my family has joined forces with two other households, including Mr. Lang Van Hien and Mr. Ha Van Phong, to raise 14 fish cages. During that process, the State supported 6 million VND/cage (cage and fish seed costs), the remaining families had to invest an additional 6 million VND/cage. Because the cages are made of mixed wood, the investment level is low, about 12 million VND/cage, and they can be used for 2 years before having to replace them. In 2013 and 2014, we collected 28 - 30 quintals of fish/14 cages each year, bringing in an income of about 350 - 400 million VND/year".

According to Mr. Thoai, people here mainly raise grass carp, this type of fish is easy to raise and has high value. Raising fish in cages is not too hard because it takes advantage of food sources such as locally available agricultural products such as cassava leaves, banana leaves, corn, especially grass which is quite abundant in the area near the lake bed... Therefore, the initial investment cost is not too high and the capital is quickly recovered.

Releasing fish in cages on the Hua Na - Que Phong Hydroelectric Reservoir.

Mr. Lang Van Tuan - Chairman of Dong Van Commune People's Committee added: Up to now, the whole commune has over 40 fish cages, bringing in an annual revenue of over 1.5 billion VND, helping people increase their income, creating a diversity of occupations in the mountainous area. In 2015, the commune will continue to increase the scale by 10 - 15 cages, especially the commune is implementing a number of experimental models of fish farming in net cages on the lake bed. Specifically, net cages are installed in the lake's narrows and channels to raise fish in semi-intensive and intensive forms. According to calculations, 1 hectare of fish farming in the lake's narrows and channels using net cages will yield 7 - 8 tons of fish, with a revenue of 350 million VND/year. If 10 fish cages are raised on 1 hectare of water surface, the revenue will only reach 170 million VND, while raising fish in net cages will yield 1.5 times more profit. Not to mention, raising fish in open net cages means that fish are less susceptible to disease.

In Tuong Duong district, there are currently 2 hydroelectric reservoirs, Ban Ve and Khe Bo, where people are focusing on raising fish in cages. Ms. Vo Thi Xuan in Cua Rao I village, Xa Luong commune - Tuong Duong is putting grass in fish cages and said: "My family raises 2 fish cages, each cage raises 160 fish, mainly grass carp and silver carp. In 2014, the fish reached 600 kg, sold at 150,000 VND/kg for 60 million VND, minus expenses, the net profit is 42 million VND/year. Compared to farming like before, the income from raising fish in cages is too high."

According to Ms. Xuan, to raise fish in cages, the fish cages must be built with alum wood frames taken from deep forests. This type of tree is very water-resistant and can be used to raise fish in cages for over 20 years. However, the cost of building fish cages is very high, from 18 to 20 million VND/cage, while the State's support is 6 million VND. Ms. Tran Thi Thanh, a cage fish farmer, has drawn from her experience that when buying grass carp fry, she chooses the "medium" type of fish, about 4 fish/kg, which are very adaptable and grow quickly, after nearly 1 year of raising, they reach 2 to 3 kg. Ms. Thanh shared: "For convenience, we often raise fish in a mixed style so that we can sell "trimmed" fish every day. Some days, we sell "trimmed" about 4 kg of grass carp at 150,000 VND/kg, earning 600,000 VND. The total for the whole year is from 22 to 25 million VND/cage". Mr. Luong Van Phan - Chairman of Xa Luong Commune People's Committee added: Before Khe Bo Hydropower dam, the commune had only 13 fish cages, after damming the dam, the number increased to 26 fish cages. Thanks to the State's support policy, cage fish farming has increasingly developed, bringing significant income to the people.

Mr. Lo Kham Kha - Head of Agriculture Department of Tuong Duong district said: To promote the potential of caged fish, in addition to the province's support of 6 million VND/cage, Tuong Duong district combined other capital sources to support an additional 6 million VND/cage, bringing the total support level to 12 million VND/cage. Thanks to that, in 2014 alone, Tuong Duong district built 103 new fish cages, bringing the total to 140 fish cages, achieving an income of over 30 million VND/cage/year, gradually helping people escape poverty.

Up to this point, the whole province has 433 fish cages, increasing by over 100 cages each year. The reason for the increase in fish cages is that recently, people have been gradually approaching new technology cages, low cost, easy to care for and manage. Along with that, the support for building new cages from the Provincial People's Committee and local authorities has created a mentality for people to feel secure in investing in production. To achieve effective cage fish farming, households are choosing main fish species such as grass carp, common carp, tilapia... some households are adding new species such as catfish, catfish... however the quantity is not significant.

If in the past, most households making cages were taking advantage of available natural materials such as bamboo and wood, now thanks to access to new technology cages with iron frames and mesh, they have reduced investment costs and are easier to care for and manage, bringing higher efficiency. Regarding cage size: there are differences between localities, but usually cages are about 6m long x 2m wide x 1.4m high. Average productivity is 24kg/m3 (350 kg/cage). Many farming areas have achieved high average productivity such as Con Cuong district 52 kg/m3, Anh Son district 33kg/m3. Total annual cage farming output reaches more than 150 tons. The main products are supplied to the domestic market, for grass carp of size 2 - 3kg/fish, the price is 120 - 150 VND/kg; Carp and tilapia average 50,000 - 60,000 VND/kg.

To proactively source food and reduce production costs, households have planted milkweed, elephant grass, bananas, cassava or used agricultural by-products for food. Therefore, the economic efficiency is quite good, each cage has a revenue of about 25 - 35 million VND. Regarding the policy mechanism, every year the province has a policy to support the development of cage fish farming on large surface lakes, currently implementing Decision No. 09/2012/QD-UBND, mountainous districts and communes in region III are supported with 6 million VND/cage, mountainous districts and communes in region II are supported with 4 million VND/cage, mountainous districts and communes in region I are supported with 2.5 million VND/cage, and plain districts and communes are supported with 2 million VND/cage.

It can be affirmed that cage fish farming has achieved high economic efficiency but has not yet fully exploited the potential of the water surface. Specifically, our province has about 530km of Lam River, 1,250 irrigation reservoirs, small and medium hydroelectricity, of which 948 reservoirs with an area of ​​about 18,513.44 hectares have the potential to develop aquaculture. Among them, there are some lakes with large water surface areas such as Ban Ve Hydroelectric Reservoir (Tuong Duong district) with an area of ​​2,871 hectares, Hua Na Hydroelectric Reservoir (Que Phong district) with an area of ​​1,161 hectares, but the rate of cage fish farming is still too low.

Mr. Trinh Xuan Dung - Head of the Department of Agriculture of Que Phong district added: The Hua Na Hydropower Reservoir is large, but people have only exploited a very small part of about 3 - 4% of the water surface area of ​​the reservoir. Farmed products still mainly serve domestic consumption needs, not yet creating concentrated commodity products for processing and export. Traditional fish farmers still lack care, knowledge, and techniques for environmental management and disease prevention, etc., so the fish output is not high compared to the potential.

Mr. Lo Kham Kha - Head of the Agriculture Department of Tuong Duong district said: Tuong Duong district has 2 hydroelectric reservoirs, while people have only focused on raising a lot of fish in Khe Bo reservoir with 120 cages, while the large Ban Ve hydroelectric reservoir has only raised 20 cages. The reason why Ban Ve hydroelectric reservoir has little fish cage farming is because it is far from residential areas, only a few villages in Huu Khuong commune focus on semi-intensive farming. Not to mention that the source of fish seeds is currently very difficult, there are no fish nurseries, people have to go to Do Luong, Anh Son, Thanh Chuong to buy, the cost is high...

For sustainable fish farming, our province has orientations and solutions for fish farming on reservoirs and water surfaces from now until 2020. Accordingly, localities with potential water surfaces need to focus on developing detailed plans, investment projects and especially plans for fish farming in cages, gradually exploiting them reasonably; in addition to traditional fish species, it is necessary to introduce aquatic species with high economic value such as catfish, catfish, American catfish, sturgeon. Strengthen the management of fish seed quality and quarantine work. In mountainous provinces, it is necessary to open technical training classes; build production organization models in the form of cooperatives, clubs, aquaculture associations... Strengthen the direction of protecting aquatic resources, protecting the farming environment, protecting protective forests... At the same time, it is necessary to have measures to well manage water sources and discharge sources of factories and enterprises managing reservoirs to ensure that cage fish farming activities are not affected. In the long term, it is necessary to consider the policy of renting water surface for farming households in conjunction with water resource management. Develop appropriate policies to attract businesses to invest capital in aquaculture production and business in large water areas. Increase funding support for investment in high-tech cages. In particular, it is necessary to build a close link between production and product consumption to create a stable and developing market.

Van Truong