Trịnh Thanh Ngọc of Vũng Tàu City’s Ward 15 in Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province produces about 1.5 million fish fry a year. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Nhị

BÀ RỊA-VŨNG TÀU — Fish fry producing establishments in the southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu have been thriving because of steady demand, and are focusing on improving quality.

Trịnh Thanh Ngọc, who has been in the business in Vũng Tàu City’s Ward 12 for nearly 20 years, said he produces grouper, giant seaperch and oyster fry.

He supplies around 1.5 million fry annually and earns a profit of VNĐ1.3 billion (US$56,000).

Pond cleanliness, water quality and food are very important in fry farming since they have low immunity and are very susceptible to factors like changes in the breeding environment, he said.

The pond is sterilised after each harvest to maintain quality, and the origins of the fry are indicated clearly on their packaging for quality guarantee, he said. 

The breeding periods are around six months for fish fry and one month for seed oysters.

Fry producing establishments in the city sell them to farmers in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu and elsewhere, mostly in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta and northern region.

Nguyễn Thị Phương Loan also in Vũng Tàu’s Ward 12 has three farms that produce around 1.5 million giant seaperch fry a year to sell to the delta and northern region.

The eggs used for producing the fry are obtained from fish bred in floating cages on the Chà Và River, she said.

“The production of fish fry requires care at each breeding stage,” she said, adding that quality depends on many factors like climate, water environment, food and oxygen in the water.

Many fry producing establishments in Ward 12 have three types of ponds for breeding, water filtering and wastewater treatment.

Many do not use antibiotics and only use bio-products.

They are also highly mechanised.

They have steady demand through a fish seed co-operative, which sells them to the south and south-central regions.

The province has 146 establishments that produce 5-6 billion shrimp and other fry annually, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Its farmers have been breeding many marine fish species like grouper, cobia and giant seaperch in cages in recent years.

The department has identified black tiger shrimp, white-legged shrimp and grouper as the key species for semi-intensive and intensive farming.

It plans to develop cage-based aquaculture for grouper, cobia, giant seaperch and pomfret and zoned three main areas - the Chà Và River, the Dinh River in Vũng Tàu City’s Ward 12 and the Mỏ Nhát River in Phú Mỹ Town.

The three areas had 11,361 cages last year.

In the province, aquaculture is done in 6,285ha of ponds and rivers, including 1,833ha of freshwater and 4,452ha of brackish and saltwater. — VNS