Binh Thuan and its marine farming potential

Binh Thuan is a province with great potential for aquaculture development, especially marine aquaculture. Marine aquaculture in Binh Thuan has been developing rapidly in recent years. Although the current proportion is less than 10% of the total aquaculture output (2023), this is a field with great potential in the future and needs investment attention.

Many challenges

The province's fisheries sector plays an important role in the economy of Binh Thuan province, with output and export value increasing steadily over the years. The average growth rate of the province's total fisheries output in the period 2016 - 2023 reached 2.27%. Of which, the output of exploited fisheries still accounts for the main proportion, but in recent years, growth has been slower than that of aquaculture, especially marine aquaculture. In 2023, the total output of marine aquaculture in the province reached 552 tons, an increase of 211 tons compared to 2016. The average growth rate in the period 2016 - 2023 reached more than 7%, a remarkable development. Increasing the output and export value of fisheries will be one of the important driving forces to promote the socio-economic development of the province in the coming time.

Lobster farming using traditional technology.

In 2023, the province has 6 coastal and island marine farming areas with 3,081 cages, concentrated in Tuy Phong, Phu Quy, Bac Binh districts, Phan Thiet city, Ham Thuan Nam, with high economic value farmed species such as grouper, lobster, pomfret, cobia, snails, etc. However, most of the farming households here are farming using traditional technology, small scale, cages are made from wood, iron and barrels, which cannot withstand strong waves and storms.

Cage aquaculture in Phu Quy. Photo: N. Lan.

According to a survey by the agricultural sector, although the profits from these models are quite large, 300 - 400 million VND/year, the risks are also high. The profits of the model depend a lot on the harvest time because the price of commercial fish fluctuates greatly at different times. Besides, the province's marine farming industry still has certain difficulties and challenges. The province's sea area does not have large, sheltered bays to strongly develop marine farming, but along the length of the coast are flats, with many waves and winds, so it is affected by storms or tropical depressions every year. Not only that, the quality of the water environment has many fluctuations, leading to the phenomenon of sudden fish deaths in large numbers in recent years. In particular, the farming area in Phu Quy is overloaded with a large number of cages, raised in the sea area along Lach Du island, Tam Thanh commune with a water surface area of ​​about 7,000 m2 and a total farming output of about 155 tons in 2023. Most households buy seeds through familiar dealers, facing a lot of pressure on price and seed quality. Seeds are mainly transported by sea, over long distances, so there are many risks; the consumption market and output prices are unstable; the development of high-tech marine farming is still limited...

Fish breeding farm in Ham Thuan Nam.

Project realization

Binh Thuan has great potential for marine aquaculture, especially in the context of increasingly depleted aquatic resources, raw materials for processing and export depend on imports from abroad. The demand for aquaculture products is increasing, tending to replace and reduce pressure on aquatic exploitation (KTTS). Mr. Nguyen Van Chien - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said: "Based on practical requirements, the implementation of the "Project for developing marine aquaculture in Binh Thuan province to 2030, vision to 2045" is very necessary. In the coming time, the province's fisheries industry will drastically reduce coastal aquaculture means, contributing to solving the problem of converting occupations from coastal aquaculture to more sustainable marine aquaculture. Marine aquaculture is also a great opportunity to restore the ecosystem that is being depleted by overexploitation by humans.

Marine aquaculture is also a great opportunity to restore the depleted ecosystem (photo: N. Lan)

In addition, the implementation of this project also aims to concretize the Resolution on the Strategy for sustainable development of Vietnam's marine economy, setting the goal that by 2045, Vietnam will become a strong maritime country, the marine economy will make an important contribution to the country's economy, shifting from traditional aquaculture to industrial aquaculture, applying high technology, creating a breakthrough in marine aquaculture. In addition, it will attract investment enterprises, creating momentum for the marine aquaculture industry of Binh Thuan province to become a modern and sustainable marine aquaculture industry, effectively exploiting the potential of marine aquaculture of the province. At the same time, the project will contribute to promoting the development of the marine economy associated with restructuring the agricultural sector and ensuring national defense and security in the sea and islands of the Fatherland.

In order for the project to soon become a reality, the Provincial People's Committee needs to soon approve the project as a basis for handing over, leasing, and licensing marine aquaculture water surface to organizations and individuals participating in marine aquaculture in accordance with the correct processes and procedures. The Government needs to soon issue preferential policies so that organizations and individuals participating in marine aquaculture can access long-term, low-interest capital to develop marine aquaculture; Issue policies to encourage organizations and individuals to participate in industrial marine aquaculture, applying high technology; Add key marine aquaculture subjects to be supported according to the decree on agricultural insurance. In addition, the Government needs to have effective measures to remove bottlenecks in procedures for handing over marine aquaculture water surface...

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/binh-thuan-va-tiem-nang-nuoi-bien-122924.html