Dong Thap farmers launch fish farming and storage model during flood season

Localities in the upstream areas of Dong Thap province are entering the flood season (also known as the floating season). After the summer-autumn rice harvest, many fields have been flooded. In addition to natural fishing activities, some farmers have also begun implementing a model of fish farming and storage in the fields during the floating season, which not only helps people earn more income but also helps limit destructive fishing and protect aquatic resources.

FISH FARMING COMMUNITY

In recent days, when floodwaters flooded the fields, members of the Flood Season Fish Farming Team in Giong Bang Hamlet, Thuong Phuoc Commune, Dong Thap Province were busy preparing their "tools" (nets, boats, cajuput stakes, etc.), together planting cajuput stakes and covering the fields with nets of hundreds of hectares to farm fish during the flood season. This model has been implemented by farmers since the flood season of 2023, so this year, people have reused the available tools, with almost no additional costs.

Members of Quyet Tien Ecological Agricultural Production Cooperative, Phu Tho Commune (Dong Thap Province), surround the fields with nets to raise fish during the flood season and combine with experiential tourism.

Mr. Dang Van Be, Head of the Flood Season Fish Farming Team in Giong Bang Hamlet, Thuong Phuoc Commune, said: This area only produces two rice crops a year, and the land is left fallow during the flood season because water is released to collect alluvium. Therefore, taking advantage of their free time during the flood season, some farmers pool their money and labor together to cover the fields with nets to farm and harvest fish when the flood waters recede. This model helps people have a livelihood during the flood season and have an additional source of income.

The time for stocking freshwater fish is about 4 months, during which time the fish enter the fields, reproduce and eat natural food sources in the flooded fields. However, through actual surveys, if the number of natural fish entering the fields is found to be low, the members of the group will meet to discuss and stock additional fish. In the 2024 flood season, the Giong Bang Hamlet Fish Stocking Group harvested more than 10 tons of various freshwater fish (snakehead fish, perch, catfish, etc.), bringing in revenue of about 200 million VND.

According to Mr. Dang Van Be, when the flood comes, a lot of fish go into the fields following the water flow. For the sake of making a living, some people fish in a destructive way (fishing with electric shock, using nets with small mesh sizes, etc.), causing aquatic resources to decrease. The establishment of the Giong Bang hamlet flood season fish storage group helps farmers earn more income, while also contributing to preventing destructive fishing.

With the agreement of the local authorities, key members of the Giong Bang Hamlet Flood Season Fish Storage Team met, propagated, and mobilized farmers with adjacent land areas in the area to participate in the community fish storage model during the flood season. The members contributed capital (more than 3 million VND/person) to invest in buying fishing gear (melaleuca poles, boats, nets) to implement the model. With only a one-time initial investment, these fishing gears will continue to be used in the following flood seasons.

The group has 2 community fish storage points, with a total area of over 150 hectares and about 90 members participating. Mr. Bui Thanh Nhan, a member of the flood season fish storage group in Giong Bang hamlet, shared that during the flood season, the fields are flooded so he has no income. Realizing that the flood season fish storage model has many benefits, he joined. After completing the netting of the entire field, the group will hang signs prohibiting illegal fishing and assign members to regularly patrol and protect.

ASSOCIATED WITH EXPERIENCE TOURISM

Since the flood season of 2023, Quyet Tien Ecological Agricultural Production Cooperative, Phu Tho Commune (Dong Thap Province) has implemented a flood season fish farming and storage model. In the 2024 flood season, the model harvested nearly 10 tons of various types of freshwater fish, with a total revenue of more than 220 million VND. The cooperative has also "practiced" combining fish farming and storage with the exploitation of experiential tourism services, contributing to promoting the local image and expecting to bring income to farmers.

Flood season fish farming area combined with experiential tourism services of Quyet Tien Ecological Agricultural Production Cooperative, Phu Tho commune (Dong Thap province).

Mr. Nguyen Minh Tuan, Director of Quyet Tien Ecological Agricultural Production Cooperative said: Implementing and maintaining the model of fish farming and storage during flood season brings income in farmers' spare time, protects aquatic resources and biodiversity.

After implementing the model, there are fish species that have not been seen for a long time but have now reappeared, thereby showing that the ecosystem has been partially improved.

This year's flood season, the cooperative implemented a fish farming model in the fields with an area of 170 hectares, with 70 households participating. In the 10th lunar month, when the flood recedes, farmers clean the fields to sow the new rice crop and then start harvesting fish.

Farmer Nguyen Van Nho in Phu Tho commune, Dong Thap province said that during the flood season, instead of leaving his fields empty and having no income, he joined a model of fish farming and storage during the flood season. Thanks to that, he has a job and extra income during the flood season to cover his living expenses.

Members of the Flood Season Fish Farming Team in Giong Bang Hamlet, Thuong Phuoc Commune, Dong Thap Province, plant cajuput stakes and nets to farm fish in the fields during the flood season.

According to Mr. Nguyen Minh Tuan, along with fish farming during the flood season, Quyet Tien Ecological Agricultural Production Cooperative also combines experience tourism services. Visitors coming here can experience the activities of local people during the flood season such as: setting traps, setting traps to catch fish, spreading nets, fishing...; picking sesbania flowers; enjoying rustic dishes. The time to welcome tourists to experience the flood season starts from the end of the 7th lunar month to the 10th lunar month. After the flood season, the Cooperative also exploits the experience tourism service of tilling the land, sowing rice and then harvesting rice when it is time for harvest.

Ms. Duong Kim Dung, Deputy Head of the Economic Department of Phu Tho Commune, Dong Thap Province, said: This model brings many benefits such as creating livelihoods, helping farmers have additional income during the flood season, contributing to raising people's awareness in protecting aquatic resources and combining with exploiting experiential tourism.

According to Ms. Duong Kim Dung, in the coming time, the Economic Department will advise the Party Committee and the People's Committee to direct the Commune Police force to support and work with farmers to patrol, control, and handle cases of illegal and destructive fishing in the commune in general and fish farming areas in particular; members participating in the model will meet to discuss, agree on the schedule, and assign patrol forces to protect the fish farming areas.

NHUT AN

Source: https://baoapbac.vn/kinh-te/202508/nong-dan-dong-thap-khoi-dong-mo-hinh-nuoi-tru-ca-mua-nuoc-noi-1048151/