Khánh Hoà sets goal to develop industrial offshore aquaculture

Khánh Hoà’s agriculture and rural development industry is directing and encouraging offshore aquaculture with Norway farming technology, Deputy Director of Khánh Hoà Agriculture and Rural Development Department Võ Nam Thắng said in a statement.

Huge potential of offshore aquaculture

Khánh Hòa has a huge potential and advantages in offshore aquaculture with 385km of the coastline and more than 200 large and small islands, 3 bays and 2 wind tight lagoons.

The province has research centers, education and training facilities and research units related to aquaculture such as Nha Trang Research Institute of Aquaculture III, Nha Trang Oceanography Institute, and Nha Trang University.

According to the Khánh Hoà Agriculture and Rural Development Department, the province has five farming areas located in the main tidal region, including Vạn Ninh, Cam Lâm districts, Ninh Hoà town, Nha Trang and Cam Ranh cities.

Lobster is the key farmed species reared in Vạn Ninh, Ninh Hoà, Nha Trang and Cam Ranh. As of Dec 2019, the province has a total of 64,566 cages, bringing 1,343 tons of lobster valued at thousands of billion dong for local farmers.

Besides, a large amount of groupers, seabass, cobia, and snub-nose pompano is reared in bays and lagoons.

By the end of 2019, the province has around 9,740 cages, bringing in 3,638 tons valued at thousands of billion dong.

Moreover, local farmers are earning profit from farming sea crab, Papcific oyster and seaweed.

However, Deputy Director of Khánh Hoà Agriculture and Rural Development Department Võ Nam Thắng said that the province’s marine earning does not proportionate to its potential.

Two typical industrial offshore aquaculture

Thắng said that the province has two typical models of effective industrial offshore aquaculture with one developed by the Research Institute Aquaculture I on a 10ha water surface in Vân Phong bay, bringing 200-250 tons per year.

It has 20 HDPE round cages of 60m circumference, which can bear high pressure, strong wind, and storm and are used to rear commercial snub-nose pompano; and 22 square cages (size 5x5x5m) used for broodstock production and nursery.

This is the first industrial offshore aquaculture model recognized VietGAP scheme in the country where no antibiotics are involved, 100% industrial feed is used, mortality rate is low (survival rate usually reached over 75%, even 90% after 6-7 months of stocking).

The commercial fish is served in the country and exported to the US and Middle East countries.

The second model is developed by the AUSTRALIS Seafood Ltd., Co with Norway cage type, bringing around 2,000-2,500 tons per year.

“These two modes have been developed effectively and sustainably. Actually, those cages survived through the storm no.12 (Damrey) in early Nov 2017 (wind intensity of 14-15) without any damages.

Moreover, those cages have longevity of at least 50 years in the ocean. However, local farmers can not afford the huge investment cost into those Norway cages.

Thus, the Extension Center is developing a model with the use of domestic materials so as to reduce the investment cost and encourage sustainable offshore aquaculture”, said Thắng.