Caring for fish in cages in Vinh Hien commune.

Visiting Vinh Hien commune one day in October 2024, we still saw people busy feeding fish in cages in the lagoon area. These are fish species that the locals have caught from the wild and brought back to raise; they haven't reached the size needed for sale yet. A fisherman shared: "We work in this profession, and when we catch small fish, we bring them back to raise for sale, applying flood-avoidance farming methods to ensure they reach the size required by traders."

Mr. Nguyen Cu, one of the exemplary households engaged in large-scale aquaculture with 20 cages of various fish species in Hien An 1 village (Vinh Hien commune), recounted that thanks to following the recommendations of the agricultural sector and local authorities, his family's cage fish farming was minimally affected during the rainy season and floods, yielding an annual profit of at least 100 million VND. “Unlike previous years, this year I added grouper to my fish farming. From the beginning of 2024 until now, after deducting expenses, the profit from cage fish farming has reached 150 million VND, not including the number of fish raised to avoid floods. Raising fish to avoid floods carries risks, but with years of experience, we have become accustomed to it and have learned to mitigate the risks when floodwaters desalinate the water source, causing fish deaths,” Mr. Cu shared.

According to Mr. Hoang Trung Dung, Vice Chairman of the Vinh Hien Commune People's Committee, for artificially bred fish, the people raise them and ensure proper timing for sale before the flood season. As for fish raised to avoid floods, these are fish caught by the people themselves, and their small size makes them unsuitable for sale before the flood season. Based on years of experience, cage fish farmers have proactively implemented safety measures such as investing in additional floating containers; reinforcing cages and purchasing nets to surround the cages; and submerging cages to the bottom to maintain salinity during floods. In addition, people have moved cages to areas with weaker currents, including the Hai Phu lagoon area in Loc Binh commune. The government has directed relevant departments and fisheries associations to advise people to implement solutions to avoid losses.

Vinh Hien commune is the area with the most cage fish farming in the lagoon of Phu Loc district, with 1,600 cages belonging to 350 households, mainly raising high-value fish species such as grouper, snapper, and red snapper. Thanks to cage fish farming, many fishermen in the commune have built spacious houses, provided for their children's education, and some households earn hundreds of millions of dong per year. However, in some years, intentionally letting the fish survive the rainy season to get a better price before selling has caused them heavy losses. Therefore, fish farmers always need to closely monitor the weather and have appropriate solutions.

Mr. Pham Van Dao, Deputy Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Phu Loc District, said that the agricultural sector advises farmers to harvest fish in cages that have reached commercial value before the rainy season. However, for cages with fish that have not yet reached commercial value, farmers should regularly monitor weather developments to have appropriate response plans and ensure proper technical care to ensure the fish reach commercial value. Raising fish during the rainy season and floods carries many risks; however, farmers in many localities along the lagoon have applied experience in raising fish in cages to avoid floods, thus ensuring economic viability.

According to Mr. Dao, Phu Loc district has approximately 45 hectares of cage fish farming area with about 4,300 cages, which is the main source of income for many households. Therefore, the district's agricultural sector and local authorities regularly strengthen propaganda and technical support for farming, while also researching and implementing more aquaculture models adapted to climate change.

Mr. Le Thiet, head of the Vinh Hien commune's cage fish farming association, shared that the people mainly rely on fishing for their livelihood, so they are very proactive in adhering to the seasonal schedule and most harvest early. The application of experience in raising fish to avoid floods, especially for fish species that cannot yet be sold, is also carefully studied in terms of weather, water salinity, and other factors. The farming households have the means to move the fish cages. The association and related units are also ready to provide technical support to cage fish farmers to ensure a successful harvest.

Text and photos: PHUC HIEU