Creating conditions for cold-water fish farming to have a foothold in the 'home field'

A model of sturgeon farming in cages in Coc Ly commune (Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province ).

According to the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Inspection, document No. 05/HCNL dated August 4, 2025, from the Lao Cai Province Coldwater Fish Association, concerns the request to control the volume of sturgeon imported into Vietnam.

The Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Inspection believes that, in the context of globalization, goods, services, and capital flow freely between countries, and participation in WTO/FTAs often involves commitments to reduce trade barriers. Therefore, cold-water fish farming needs to proactively apply advanced industrial-scale production processes and technologies, suitable to the ecological conditions of each region, to improve survival rates, ensure efficient production, conserve water, protect the ecological environment, and ensure product traceability. The industry needs to diversify production models; with businesses as the core, encouraging forms of production linkages between businesses and households, connecting with the consumer market, and ensuring transparency in quality to increase competitiveness, reduce production costs, and enhance the brand value of Vietnamese cold-water fish.

To develop cold-water fish farming, the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Inspection stated that it will advise the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to continue negotiations with countries and territories with strengths in developing cold-water fish farming to import new, economically valuable cold-water fish species suitable to local ecological conditions, thereby diversifying aquaculture species; and advise the Ministry to direct scientific and technological organizations to research, review, improve, and transfer technology processes for seed production, commercial farming, and disease prevention and treatment to ensure seed quality, improve survival rates, and reduce environmental pollution.

The Department continues to review administrative procedures to facilitate the import of seeds and supplies for cold-water fish farming by individuals and businesses.

For local authorities, the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Inspection recommends that fisheries management agencies disseminate information and guide organizations and individuals in implementing the Fisheries Law and related legal regulations on sturgeon farming; inspect the implementation of legal regulations on fisheries, on the management of endangered and rare animal species, especially the implementation of regulations on breeding, growth, and artificial cultivation of aquatic species listed in the appendix of the International Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Animals and Plants; and endangered and rare aquatic species (Article 40 of the 2017 Fisheries Law). At the same time, promptly detect violations and handle them according to regulations (if any).

Local authorities shall strictly inspect and monitor organizations and individuals that have been licensed to import sturgeon according to Circular 25/2018/TT-BNNPTNT dated November 18, 2018, of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment); strictly handle cases of non-compliance and publicly disclose violating establishments as prescribed (if any).

The Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Inspection also requested the Lao Cai Province Coldwater Fish Association and coldwater fish production facilities to fully comply with the regulations in the Fisheries Law, guiding documents of the Fisheries Law, and the CITES Convention in the farming and circulation of sturgeon products, focusing on the issuance of Certificates of Eligibility for aquaculture production and breeding; verification of the origin of aquatic species; certification of facilities eligible for breeding, growth, and artificial cultivation of aquatic species listed in the appendix of the International Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Animals and Plants; and endangered and rare aquatic species as prescribed.

Simultaneously, reorganize production towards linkages; research and improve production processes to enhance quality and reduce costs, thereby increasing product competitiveness; research and build a brand for sturgeon products produced in Vietnam, ensuring product traceability when circulating in the market.

According to the Fisheries and Aquaculture Inspection Department, the growth rate of cold-water fish production in the period 2007-2023 averaged 49.13% per year, placing Vietnam among the top 6 countries with the largest sturgeon production in the world. The development of cold-water fish farming has created new directions for aquaculture, contributing to the exploitation of the potential of cold-water bodies, infrastructure development, job creation, increased income, improved living standards for the people, and contributing to national defense and security in remote, mountainous, and border areas.

baotintuc.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/tao-dieu-kien-cho-nghe-nuoi-ca-nuoc-lanh-co-cho-dung-tren-san-nha-post880142.html