Developing sea-based aquaculture in Ninh Thuan

In Ninh Hai district’s Nai Lagoon, which covers more than 1,200 hectares, local fishermen are developing a model for Pacific oyster farming. There are currently a total of 840 cages raising oysters in the lagoon.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Duy’s family has 15 oyster cages, each of 60 square metres. After deducting investment costs, each cage brings his family more than 1,200 USD in profit on average.

Meanwhile, fisherman Nguyen Ba Ngoc in Thanh Hai commune in Ninh Hai district chose to raise squid. He invested in building two modern cages of 2,400 square metres each to raise adult squid for eggs and also commercial squid.

The large cages are surrounded by a net while their bottom rests on the seabed, so the squid can still find natural food sources, reducing the cost of feed. On average, a squid cage of 1,000 square metres produces about 7 tons per 5 to 6-month crop, bringing handsome profits to fishermen.

Besides oysters and squid, local farmers also raise fish, lobsters, molluscs, and seaweed, and models are being replicated in other coastal districts of Ninh Thuan. With current selling prices, these types of seafood bring high profits for most farmers.

To improve the efficiency of local aquaculture, researchers in the district are working to produce sufficient young fish of high quality. District authorities are also closely directing and inspecting farming models to ensure fishermen’s compliance with local development plans and to protect the diversity and sustainability of local ecosystems./.