With its high nutritional value and delicious taste, silver carp not only conquers domestic diners but also reaches out to the international market. However, few people know that this fish species was once at risk of extinction due to overexploitation.
Silver carp, a familiar specialty fish of the Southwest region, is the pride of this fertile land.
Resurrecting a nearly extinct fish species
Silver carp, with the scientific name Barbonymus gonionotus, belongs to the carp family and is one of the main fish species farmed in Southeast Asia.
In Vietnam, silver carp often lives in freshwater environments such as rivers, canals, ditches and lakes of the Mekong Delta, especially in Tien Giang and Can Tho .
Silver carp is a specialty fish that is being raised in large numbers in the Mekong Delta. Photo: T.D.
With evenly arranged silver scales and a slightly raised back, silver carp do not look very outstanding. They move in schools and are easily caught, leading to overexploitation in the wild.
At one point, silver carp almost completely disappeared, causing their prices to skyrocket but they were still difficult to find.
Realizing the danger, local people in Tien Giang have started breeding fish from the remaining fish.
Silver carp has outstanding reproductive ability, laying 4-5 times a year, each time hundreds of thousands of eggs.
Thanks to the application of modern farming methods, the yield of silver carp has recovered significantly, thereby opening a sustainable direction for the conservation and development of aquatic resources.
In Vietnam, there was a time when this fish species gradually disappeared in the wild (Photo: Silver Shrimp).
Fish has high nutritional value, can be processed into many delicious dishes
Not only is it a famous specialty of the Southwest region, silver carp also has high nutritional value.
Silver carp meat is soft and sweet, rich in protein, Omega-3, vitamin B12, iron and calcium - essential nutrients that help improve heart health, brain development and boost immunity.
A special point in the way of processing silver carp is to keep the scales intact. When cooked, this layer of scales will create crispness and bring out the unique flavor of the dish.
Silver carp can be processed into many delicious dishes such as sour soup, braised fish, grilled fish, or fish sauce - each dish has the typical characteristics of Western cuisine.
Flood season is often the time when silver carp is at its fattest, sweetest and most fragrant, making it an indispensable dish in family meals or specialty parties.
Silver carp is considered a specialty during flood season because of its sweet, soft, fatty and fragrant meat (Photo: T.D).
Currently, the price of silver carp ranges from 180,000 - 220,000 VND/kg. With a fish weighing about 5kg, farmers can earn more than 1 million VND. Silver carp farming and rearing has become a stable source of income for many families in Tien Giang and Can Tho.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tien Giang, Hau My Bac A area currently has 150 hectares of fish breeding ponds, providing 300-500 tons of fish each year, bringing in tens of billions of VND in revenue. Not only helping to solve employment, Vinh silver carp farming also plays an important role in poverty reduction and new rural development in flood-hit districts.
Silver carp is a testament to the strong vitality of nature and human efforts in conserving precious resources.
From a fish species that was once on the verge of extinction, silver carp has now become the pride of Western cuisine, contributing to improving the economy and preserving the culture of the river region.
Enjoying silver carp is not only a taste experience but also a way to appreciate the natural value and the efforts of farmers who have contributed to protecting this specialty fish species.
Source: https://danviet.vn/mot-loai-ca-suyt-bi-tuyet-chung-da-duoc-hoi-sinh-than-ky-nay-la-dac-san-cuc-ky-giau-canxi-omega-3-20250106160329282.htm
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