Despite developing for over 30 years, lobster farming remains precarious and unsustainable. Recently, the Fisheries Department ( Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development ), in collaboration with the Vietnam Marine Aquaculture Association and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, organized a forum to discuss solutions for developing the lobster value chain, aiming to assess the current situation and develop a plan for future growth.
Precarious, unsustainable
Lobster farming is commonly practiced in coastal provinces from Quang Binh to Ba Ria - Vung Tau, with a concentration in Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa provinces (accounting for over 95% of the total number of cages and production nationwide). Currently, there are four main species of farmed lobsters, the most common being the green lobster and the spiny lobster, which account for 97-98%, while the remainder are the red lobster and the bamboo lobster. Lobster farming has created jobs for tens of thousands of workers, generating trillions of VND annually, with export value ranging from 250-300 million USD.
Mr. Nguyen Tri Phuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: Lobster farming in Phu Yen has developed for over 30 years, creating regular jobs for about 6,000 workers and fishermen who have accumulated a lot of experience over generations. The province has planned 1,650 hectares for lobster farming, including 1,000 hectares in Song Cau town (253 hectares in Cu Mong lagoon and 747 hectares in Xuan Dai bay) and 650 hectares in Tuy An district. In 2022, the province had about 110,000 lobster cages, producing more than 1,750 tons; in the first six months of 2023 alone, about 87,500 cages were used, producing more than 1,000 tons. However, the farming technology is still simple, the techniques are mainly based on experience, and the cage and raft structures are traditional, so farming is only possible in sheltered bays with calm waters.
 |
The biggest challenge currently is that the Phu Yen provincial planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, has not yet been approved, so the allocation of sea areas is still facing many obstacles and has not been implemented. The locality has not been able to proactively secure its own seed sources, mainly relying on natural exploitation and imports from abroad, resulting in inconsistent quality.
Mr. Nguyen Van Huu, Deputy Head of the Aquaculture Department (Fisheries Department), stated: The current state of lobster farming in Vietnam is still largely spontaneous, on a small-scale, household basis. Localities lack detailed planning to reorganize farming areas, have not invested in infrastructure for marine farming areas, and mostly use traditional cage farming methods with outdated technology. Environmental issues and diseases affecting farmed lobsters are becoming increasingly complex. The management and licensing of lobster farming using cages in localities face many difficulties, and a value chain linkage has yet to be established.
 |
| Traders buying lobsters in Song Cau town. Photo: ANH NGOC |
Prioritize improving processes and technologies.
The development orientation for Vietnam's shrimp industry focuses on farming and exporting two main species: spiny lobster and green lobster. The plan continues to develop cage farming in the sea, applying high technology to open sea areas; shifting from coastal to offshore areas. Simultaneously, land-based tank farming using industrial feed and recirculating filtration systems will also be implemented. However, the issues of broodstock and industrial feed for farmed lobsters are currently a concern for farmers and local authorities.
According to the Research Institute for Aquaculture III, the Ministry of Science and Technology assigned the institute the task of researching the artificial breeding of spiny lobster (Panulirus ornatus) from 2019 to 2023. The research results to date are relatively promising. Spiny lobster larvae have been preserved for over 6 months and have produced a number of phyllosoma 10 larvae. However, further experiments are needed to successfully research the artificial breeding of spiny lobster.
Associate Professor Vo Van Nha, Deputy Director of the Research Institute for Aquaculture III, stated: From 2019 to the present, the research team from the institute and Dac Loc Aquaculture Co., Ltd. have researched and produced industrial feed for green lobsters and spiny lobsters raised in water reuse tanks using a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). For commercial farming in RAS, spiny lobsters are fed 50% industrial pellet feed and 50% fresh feed, while green lobsters can be fed 100% pellet feed up to 0.25 kg/lobster. Spiny lobster juveniles raised with industrial feed achieve a high survival rate, but slow growth. Raising lobsters in tanks with industrial feed has yielded positive results in terms of growth, survival rate, and product quality. The research team is currently evaluating the economic efficiency of the model.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Huu Dung, Chairman of the Vietnam Marine Aquaculture Association, stated: To sustainably develop lobster farming, priority should be given to researching and perfecting domestic seed production processes, sustainable commercial farming technologies, industrial feed production technologies, and research on disease prevention and treatment measures for lobsters. Localities need to organize production along the value chain; assess environmental carrying capacity; review and arrange cage density to ensure technical requirements; and expand open sea and offshore farming areas using new farming materials. Localities should review lobster farming development plans to integrate them into local socio-economic planning; prioritize investment in infrastructure serving marine farming; and improve policies and mechanisms to strengthen management and encourage the sustainable development of the lobster value chain.
ANH NGOC
Source
Comment (0)