Farmers in Ha Tinh are urgently protecting their farmed aquatic products ahead of Typhoon No. 5.

(Baohatinh.vn) - To cope with Typhoon No. 5, farmers in Ha Tinh have proactively implemented measures to reinforce cages, ponds, and lakes, protecting aquaculture areas to avoid damage.

In anticipation of the strong and unpredictable Typhoon No. 5, aquaculture farmers in Ha Tinh province have urgently implemented measures to reinforce and protect their ponds and cages to minimize damage caused by the storm.

For over 15 years, Mr. Nguyen Van Binh (Song Hai village, Thach Ha commune) has been raising fish in cages in the area below the Do Diem wharf on the Nghen River. Every time he hears news about storms, he feels anxious. Therefore, when he heard about typhoon number 5, he quickly prepared response plans to protect his family's fish cages.

Mr. Nguyen Van Binh said: “Since the morning of August 23rd, after checking the weather forecast about Typhoon No. 5, I bought ropes to tie and secure the fish cages, fixed the rafts with stakes, and checked and repaired the nets to prevent the fish from being swept away when the water level rises. Currently, my fish raft has nearly 700 sea bass that have reached a weight of almost 2 kg/fish. To ensure maximum safety, while the typhoon hasn't arrived yet, I have to constantly check the fish farming system to see if there are any areas that need repair.”

Not far from Mr. Binh's raft, Mr. Nguyen Huu Nhan (Song Hai village) also quickly pulled ropes to secure his fish cages to protect his family's assets, a school of nearly 600 fish: "These fish have been raised for about 1.5 years, weighing 1.5 - 2 kg each. Following the weather forecast, which predicted a strong storm, I reinforced the mooring system, cage floats, addressed weak points at risk of being blown away by the wind, and added more ropes to keep the cages from drifting. Along with reinforcing the cages, I also took the opportunity to check and repair my boats for transportation."

Reportedly, nearly 30 households in Song Hai village (Thach Ha commune) are currently raising sea bass in cages, with a total of approximately 7,000 fish. Mr. Nguyen Van Duc, head of Song Hai village, stated: “Given the forecast of Typhoon No. 5 being strong, we have informed the aquaculture farmers to proactively take measures to protect their assets and minimize losses. Currently, the villagers' near-shore fishing boats have been anchored, and the cages have been carefully secured and reinforced. We will continue to guide the people to monitor and update weather forecasts regularly to proactively prepare for any situations that may arise in the coming days.”

In Hai Ninh ward, along with reinforcing and protecting fish cages, households are also taking advantage of the opportunity to harvest their farmed aquatic products that have reached maturity early to minimize losses when the storm hits. Mr. Pham Xuan Hao, Chairman of the Hai Ninh Ward Farmers' Association, said: "The local authorities have inspected and reviewed the entire area of ​​shrimp and fish farming and have disseminated information and guided farmers to harvest early, implement measures to reinforce ponds and move cages to safe areas. To date, about 70% of the farmers' farmed aquatic products have been harvested."

Not only are fish farmers struggling to cope with Typhoon No. 5, but shrimp farmers in localities across the province are also urgently implementing measures to protect their shrimp from the effects of heavy rain when the typhoon arrives.

According to shrimp farmers, the high acid content in rainwater, along with the sudden drop in salinity and pH levels, can lead to environmental shock and disease in farmed shrimp if not addressed promptly. Therefore, in addition to reinforcing embankments and ponds, ensuring adequate water quality and nutrition for shrimp is crucial.



Mr. Cao Huu Nghi (from Co Dam commune) said: “ With a scale of 4 ponds, we just released over 1 million whiteleg shrimp fry a month ago. Closely monitoring the rain and storm developments, we have prepared supplies to be ready to respond to any unusual incidents caused by rain and storms. Currently, we have reinforced the pond banks, supplemented minerals and vitamins to increase the shrimp's resistance, removed tarpaulins to protect against strong winds, run water fans and aeration continuously, treated the water, and installed a surface water drainage system to reduce the amount of rainwater in the ponds, in case of heavy rain.”

According to the Ha Tinh Fisheries Department, the total area of ​​aquaculture in the province is currently nearly 5,300 hectares, including over 2,800 hectares of freshwater aquaculture and nearly 2,300 hectares of brackish water aquaculture, comprising 162 cage farms and over 1,500 hectares of shrimp farms. The estimated unharvested production is approximately 7,000 tons.

In anticipation of storms and heavy rain, the unit has instructed farmers to plan for harvesting commercially sized farmed aquatic products to minimize losses during storms. Simultaneously, they are advised to inspect and reinforce pond embankments to withstand heavy rain and flooding; reinforce mooring ropes and cage floats; move cages to sheltered areas with gentle currents to prevent damage from strong winds; clear branches around the banks to prevent them from falling into the ponds and causing pollution; install overflow pipes to drain water during prolonged periods of heavy rain and when water levels in the ponds are too high; cover cages with nets to reduce losses during natural disasters; and prepare feed, chemicals, and biological products to care for and protect farmed aquatic products.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai Thuy - Head of the Aquaculture Management Department (Ha Tinh Fisheries Sub-Department)

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/nong-dan-ha-tinh-khan-truong-bao-ve-thuy-san-nuoi-truoc-bao-so-5-post294259.html