New life on the Island of Enchantment

Oh, aquaculture cages in the area near Hon Me Island.

Located about 11km from the mainland, Hon Me Island (Nghi Son town) is the largest island in the cluster of 18 large and small islands here. With its diverse ecosystem of flora and fauna, and its pristine beauty, Hon Me is likened to a "green gem" in the middle of the sea.

In order to quickly exploit the existing potential, since 2015 the Provincial People's Committee has approved the planning for the construction of Me Island, combining national defense with socio-economic development. To date, much tourism infrastructure has been invested in, creating conditions for tourists to participate in tours and have unique experiences on Me Island.

Besides tourism development, this coastal area also has rich potential for aquaculture. Since 2016, the Research Institute for Aquaculture III has been implementing a research project to develop a model for raising lobsters, grouper, and abalone in combination with Pacific oysters in this area. The results show that the area has a clear, clean water environment suitable for large-scale aquaculture development.

Mr. Tran Van Luan, from Trung Son village, Nghi Son commune – one of the pioneering households in relocating fish cages from Nghi Son Bay to Hon Bung Island – shared: "Given the situation of the spontaneous proliferation of aquaculture households, which significantly affects water quality and easily leads to disease outbreaks and many risks, I boldly borrowed capital from the bank and relatives to invest in relocating the fish cages. In the early days, my family faced many difficulties, from transportation costs and investment in new cages to caring for the fish, transporting feed, and fingerlings. However, after persevering through difficulties, thanks to the clean water source on Hon Bung Island, which helps the fish grow healthily and reduces the risk of disease, my family has not only stabilized our livelihood but also expanded the number of cages, increasing our income many times over."

Mr. Luan is not alone; many other households are also gradually affirming the correctness of their approach by deciding to relocate their fish cages to islands such as Hon Me, Hon Bung, Hon Dot, Hon Mieng, Hon Vang... belonging to the Me Island system, aiming for sustainable aquaculture. Among them, Mr. Le Dinh Dung in Tien Phong residential area, Hai Binh ward, has invested nearly 12 billion VND in cage fish farming in the Me Island area since the end of 2022. With an average annual investment of 120,000 sea bass, 30,000 grouper, and 50,000 snapper, after deducting investment costs, he earns a profit of over 4 billion VND. Regarding his goals, Mr. Dung said he is improving technology and cages to expand the scale, increase production and product quality, and aim for export.

To effectively exploit the potential of the water surface and develop cage fish farming into a large-scale production industry, on September 1, 2021, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 3416/QD-UBND approving the Project "Development of key agricultural products in the period 2021-2025, with orientation to 2030". In this project, the aquaculture project using cages and rafts in the sea area around Hon Me Island is prioritized for investment with a total scale of 88 hectares (including 15 hectares for lobster farming and 73 hectares for marine fish farming). Subsequently, on December 28, 2022, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 4716/QD-UBND approving the Project "Development of cage fish farming until 2025, with orientation to 2030". Accordingly, the area around Hon Me Island aims to reach 700 cages with a production of 1,400 tons by 2025; By 2030, the goal is to reach 1,500 cages with a production of 4,500 tons. On June 5, 2023, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 1913/QD-UBND on the rapid and sustainable development of aquaculture associated with the firm protection of national sovereignty at sea until 2045, in which the project of aquaculture using cages and rafts at Me Island is prioritized for investment in the construction of synchronous technical infrastructure, aiming to create a foundation for sustainable development of marine fisheries.

Chairman of Nghi Son Commune People's Committee, Nguyen Ngoc Thuong, stated: "Cage fish farming has made a significant contribution to economic development and social welfare in coastal communes and wards. However, because the old farming areas are located within industrial production zones, relocating them to Me Island is an inevitable trend. To date, Nghi Son commune has successfully persuaded more than 30 households to relocate their cages to Me Island, with many models showing positive initial results."

Text and photos: Dinh Giang

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/suc-song-moi-o-dao-me-247551.htm