The joy of raising fish in offshore waters.

They then release the fish fry into square and round HDPE cages using CNC technology in the Hon Noi and Dam Bay farming areas...

About six months ago, together with Mr. Vo Lam Dong - Director of the Hon Noi High-Tech Aquaculture Cooperative (Cam Lam commune) and Mr. Vu Khac Muoi - Head of the Dam Bay High-Tech Aquaculture Cooperative, we released fish fry into square and round HDPE cages using high-tech methods in the Hon Noi and Dam Bay aquaculture areas. Mr. Dong and Mr. Muoi are two of the pioneering fishermen nationwide in aquaculture up to 6 nautical miles offshore. Recently, we returned to these aquaculture areas to witness the harvest, which exceeded expectations from the first batch of yellowfin snapper.

Sweet reward

At 5 a.m. on the first Sunday of November, we arrived at Hon Ro port. Mr. and Mrs. Dong, who had come from Cam Lam commune, were already there; Mr. Vu Khac Muoi from Nam Nha Trang ward had also just arrived. Upon hearing the owner of the fishing boat (a seafood vessel) announce that everything was ready, Mr. Muoi urged everyone to board the boat so we could quickly head to the farming area to harvest the yellowfin snapper. From Hon Ro port, two boats followed Mr. Muoi to the Dam Bay farming area, while Mr. Dong and I boarded the remaining boat heading towards the Hon Noi farming area.

Harvesting yellowfin snapper by fishermen in the Hon Noi aquaculture area.

The wooden boat moved at a speed of about 6 nautical miles per hour, heading towards the sunrise in the distance. When asked what made him confident in investing in offshore aquaculture, Mr. Dong looked towards Hon Noi Island and replied, “I’m a newcomer to aquaculture, and I chose to do it offshore, where the waves are strong and the currents are powerful. Even experienced cage farmers haven’t dared to try it. But it’s time for fishermen to think big and act big to achieve big results. High-tech aquaculture is the ‘key’ that gives me confidence when going far out to sea to raise fish.” When the province implemented the pilot project for developing high-tech aquaculture, Mr. and Mrs. Dong were the first households in Cam Lam commune to register and received 50% funding from the Vingroup Charitable Foundation to invest in two HDPE circular cages with a volume of ^800m³ , equipped with high-tech equipment, to raise yellowfin snapper in the Hon Noi farming area.

As a pioneer in offshore aquaculture, Mr. Dong has also faced many hardships. In the early days of raising fish fry, his lack of experience in transportation resulted in significant losses. His family's fishing boat, worth nearly 200 million VND, was also sunk by waves during a storm, forcing him to buy a new one for 280 million VND to use in accessing the farming area... Therefore, Mr. Dong is delighted to be harvesting the plump yellowfin snapper he has raised today.

Upon reaching the farming area, the boat docked alongside Mr. Dong's two fish cages. After a while of herding the fish to the surface of the water near the boat's side, the harvesting began. People below the cages used large nets to scoop up the fish, while on the deck, others held the nets and poured the fish into large plastic containers, each holding about 80 kg. After more than 4 hours of harvesting, all the fish in the cages filled 63 plastic containers, filling the two storage holds and overflowing onto the deck. According to the professional fish harvesters, the harvest yield was about 5 tons, with fish weighing 0.5 - 0.8 kg/each (more than 1 ton higher than Mr. Dong's previous estimate); with a purchase price of 100,000 VND/kg, this single cage of yellowfin snapper alone brought Mr. Dong's family 500 million VND.

Mr. Vo Lam Dong's family harvests farmed fish in the waters off Hon Noi.

Leaving the Hon Noi aquaculture area, we took a boat for about 30 minutes to the Dam Bay marine aquaculture area, where 5 members of the Dam Bay High-Tech Marine Aquaculture Cooperative have been investing in raising marine fish for about 6 months. Upon arrival, Mr. Muoi's family was busy harvesting their school of pomfret, each weighing about 0.8 kg. This time, his family harvested a total of 13 tons of fish; currently, there are still more than 70 tons of fish being raised and not yet harvested. Having years of experience raising marine fish in traditional wooden cages in the Tri Nguyen area, Mr. Muoi compared: “High-tech marine farming in the Dam Bay sea area has many outstanding advantages: The water quality is always circulating, environmental indicators are very good, so the fish grow faster and are much less prone to disease compared to farming near the shore. In addition, it shortens the farming period by more than a month, investment costs are also significantly reduced, and the mortality rate during the farming process is below 10% (compared to 30% for traditional farming near the shore). With a selling price of 100,000 VND/kg, farmers achieve a profit of over 60%. I am very excited that the first farming season has been so effective.”

Opening the way to the open sea.

Thus, in the first trial farming season in waters up to 6 nautical miles offshore, the households investing in farming in the Hon Noi and Dam Bay farming areas all reaped sweet rewards. More importantly, the 6 months spent at sea helped the households gain more experience to make subsequent farming seasons more effective. “During the days we stayed ashore to avoid typhoon number 13, monitoring the cages through the offshore surveillance camera system, I saw very large waves, up to 2-3 meters high. But thanks to the cage frame system with 3 strong load-bearing rings and the anchoring system designed and arranged to suit the strong current, the cages and the fish inside were not affected at all. I am completely confident with this HDPE cage system. Next season, I will adjust the farming schedule to finish the season before the rainy and typhoon season and will invest in expanding the scale of farming to 10-12 tons of fish/cage/season.”

Harvesting yellowfin snapper from the farm of Mr. Vu Khac Muoi's family in the Dam Bay sea area.

According to the farmers' analysis, although the initial investment cost for CNC cage farming is high, approximately 280 million VND per ^800m³ cage, its superior durability and long lifespan mean farmers don't incur the same repair and replacement costs as with wooden cages; the yield is 10 times higher than with conventional wooden cages, making CNC marine farming much more efficient than traditional farming. Furthermore, what reassures the pioneering households in offshore marine farming is that they all already possess aquaculture licenses; the decision to grant water surface area is also being submitted to the Provincial People's Committee for approval in the near future.

In a discussion with Mr. Mười about the wishes of the farmers, he proposed: “Currently, the high-tech aquaculture zones have been planned. However, the infrastructure in this area has not yet been invested in. We hope the province will invest in a system of buoys to define the aquaculture zones and prohibit fishing vessels from operating in the high-tech aquaculture areas; there needs to be a standard for cage farming soon so that people can invest in synchronized farming in offshore “industrial clusters”... Meanwhile, Mr. Đồng and the farmers in Hòn Nội said that access to the Hòn Nội area is very far for aquaculture farmers in Cam Lâm commune and the Cam Ranh area. Therefore, they hope the province will study the construction of a ferry terminal in the Bãi Dài area to serve the logistics of aquaculture in Hòn Nội.”

Mr. Vo Lam Dong (far left) harvests farmed fish.

Mr. Le Dinh Khiem, Head of the Fisheries and Marine Affairs Sub-Department, stated: "The success of the pilot model of high-tech aquaculture in the open sea of ​​Cam Lap (Nam Cam Ranh commune) previously, and the success of aquaculture households in the Hon Noi and Dam Bay areas, has shown that high-tech aquaculture in offshore waters brings outstanding efficiency in both economic terms and adaptability to climate change, withstanding heavy storms. These are positive results in implementing the pilot project for the development of high-tech aquaculture in Khanh Hoa, which has been approved by the Prime Minister. To support aquaculture households, the sub-department has proactively guided units and individuals in carrying out licensing procedures and allocating sea areas for long-term aquaculture; supporting and creating favorable conditions for organizations and individuals with sufficient capacity to participate in high-tech aquaculture in the province's sea areas."

To date, the province has 2 enterprises and 37 households granted licenses for marine aquaculture; another enterprise is currently undergoing investment procedures for aquaculture. Policies supporting and encouraging the development of marine aquaculture, including accident insurance for workers on aquaculture cages and on vessels serving marine aquaculture activities, are being finalized for approval by competent authorities. The Fisheries and Marine Affairs Sub-Department will continue to promote, encourage, and support people in converting traditional cages to HDPE and PPR cages to minimize risks and increase economic value. In addition, in coordination with the Vingroup Charitable Foundation, they will continue to implement activities to support people in converting and developing high-tech marine aquaculture in the province's coastal areas.

HAI LANG

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/kinh-te/202511/niem-vui-nuoi-bien-xa-bo-83f0db7/