Fishing village builds fortune from lobsters

Lobster farming has been practiced for more than 20 years in Song Cau town, the central coastal province of Phu Yen. Lobsters have helped the local people escape poverty and even earn big for their living.

Being sold at 90USD per kilo, lobsters have brought a facelift to V​inh H​oa fishing village in S​ong C​au town. The local people had been living on offshore fishing trips with unstable income until some 20 years ago when they started to embark on lobster culture.

According to Bui Van Bac, a​ lobster farmer in Song Cau town, Phu Yen province, as lobster farming develops, local people can now afford houses and even cars. In the past, local people lived on fishing and could only make ends meet, now some people even earn up to billions of Vietnam dong per year.

Le Thanh Long, another lobster farmer from Song Cau town, Phu Yen province, told reporters: "More than 10 years ago, we were stricken by difficulties. We could only earn enough food to eat. But since my family turned to lobsters, we can earn a few millions dong per year. Some family even can earn up to billions with larger area."

Cu Mong lagoon and Xuan Dai bay offer favourable conditions for lobster culture. Therefore the local commercial lobster production reaches 500 to 600 tonnes per year, adding some 31 to 35 million USD to the locality’s total revenue, generating sustainable jobs for 4000 coastal households.

Lam Duy Dung, Vice Chairman of Song Cau town People’s Committee, Phu Yen province revealed: "We are working to promote Song Cau lobsters as a national product. We have introduced policies to make lobster aquaculture a sustainable job in the locality."

Phu Yen province expects to expand the lobster cultivation area in Xuan Dai bay to 1000 hectares by 2025 with a total production of some 700-1,000 tonnes per year.

Local authorities and agencies are going to enhance surveillance and provide technical assistance to farmers so as to ensure effective lobster culture.

Nguyen Tri Phuong, Deputy Director of Phu Yen’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said: "When doing provincial planning, we have always sought balance between aquaculture and tourism. In a long-term process, we will establish management boards at district and commune levels in order to keep eyes on the local lobster culture."

The province has also been speeding up the building of a breeding area to ensure the best quality of lobsters, while improving waste treatment systems and adopting new culture models with high economic value