Sturgeon, a famous cold-water fish of the highlands, is often raised in upstream streams and large hydroelectric reservoirs, ensuring low temperatures and clean water. However, a model of raising sturgeon in earthen ponds has been successfully tested and is looking for farmers to transfer the cheap cold-water fish farming model.
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| Siberian sturgeon thrive in earthen ponds |
Mr. Le Van Dieu - Deputy Director of the National Center for Freshwater Aquatic Breeding in the Central region said that since March 2023, the Center has implemented the Sturgeon Farming Model in earthen ponds. This is a project implemented with the "order" of Duc Trong district. Mr. Dieu shared that, unlike the common cold-water fish farming models in Lam Dong such as cement tanks lined with tarpaulin, composite tanks with a flow system from streams or deep, cool, natural-flowing hydroelectric lakes, the Center has decided to test a rather special model. He said that not only do sturgeon species require cold water, many species of sturgeon can adapt to average water temperatures. Therefore, the project is determined to implement the Sturgeon Farming Model in earthen ponds, applying traditional ponds in areas without flowing water.
Leading guests to visit the sturgeon pond, Mr. Le Van Dieu said that the pond is just a normal earthen pond, it does not need to be too deep, just 1.5 m - 1.7 m is enough to meet the requirements. After that, people can make cages with a height of 1.3 m or more. The cage is made of an iron frame, the fish compartment is separated by plastic mesh, and there is a thick mesh layer lining the bottom. Mr. Dieu shared: "The cage for raising sturgeon in earthen ponds does not need to be too complicated, we are currently mainly using floating cages and fixed cages. The bottom of the cage only needs to be about 30 cm from the bottom of the pond to provide enough environment for the fish to live and develop. This is the simplest technology, only the pond and the cage are enough, no need for other auxiliary technologies".
According to Mr. Le Van Dieu, since March 2023, the Center has been testing the release of Siberian sturgeon fry into earthen ponds with a density of 10 to 13 fish/ m2 , slightly lower than the traditional flowing water farming method. Each fry weighs about 50 grams, and up to now, some have reached 2 - 3 kg, with a survival rate of 75%, equal to sturgeon raised in flowing water models. It can be assessed that raising sturgeon in earthen ponds is no less effective than other traditional sturgeon farming methods in Lam Dong such as raising sturgeon in lakes, raising sturgeon in tarpaulin-lined tanks... Currently, the sturgeon herd raised in earthen ponds can be sold, many have reached outstanding weight, the model is considered an excellent success.
Mr. Dieu said that raising sturgeon in cages in earthen ponds is a fairly simple farming technology, suitable for most households in the two regions of Duc Trong and Lam Ha. “We encourage farmers, those who already have earthen ponds and are raising other types of fish, to invest in switching to raising sturgeon. A 1,500 m2 pond, including the cost of making cages and the cost of breeding for 1,500 fish, is only about 300 million VND. A year can harvest 2.5 tons of fish, with a revenue of 500 million VND, and a profit margin of 50-70%".
However, Mr. Le Van Dieu also gave some recommendations for farmers to approach the Sturgeon Farming Model in earthen ponds. Firstly, farmers need to keep the water source clean and stable, do not cultivate much around the pond, reduce the amount of pesticides flowing into the pond during rains. Sturgeon farming in earthen ponds needs to pay attention to the amount of mud, arrange fish cages near the mud drainage hole, and regularly drain mud according to plan to ensure clean pond water. And to ensure, farmers can stock fish at a lower density than other sturgeon farming models. Russian Siberian sturgeon can withstand water temperatures up to 28°C, so sturgeon can completely live in natural conditions in earthen ponds.
Also due to weather requirements, farmers need to get reputable, clear sources of fish, healthy fish, and a warranty from the company. Mr. Le Van Dieu said, realizing the effectiveness of the Sturgeon Farming Model in earthen ponds, with low costs and high profit margins, the center is looking for farmers to transfer techniques, in order to bring an effective economic model to farmers.
Recently, the Farmers' Association of Duc Trong district organized a tour to learn about the model and orient the transfer to farmers. This is a fairly effective model, suitable for available pond conditions as well as a moderate investment level, suitable for farmers. Hopefully in the near future, there will be earthen ponds of farmers raising sturgeon next to large-scale sturgeon farms with large investments. This is also an open direction for households in Duc Trong and Lam Ha to develop the economy.
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