Breeding shrimp in Cà Mau Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Huỳnh Thế Anh

CÀ MAU The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Cà Mau aims to produce a total of 600,000 tonnes of aquatic species from aquaculture and fishing next year, according to the province’s People’s Committee.

Of the figure, 200,000 tonnes will be shrimp. The country's largest shrimp producer, the province targets exports worth US$1.2 billion of shrimp next year.

The province has 300,000ha of aquaculture, with shrimp and mud crabs its key farmed aquatic species. It has harvested 522,800 tonnes of aquatic species from aquaculture and fishing in the first 11 months of the year, up 3.9 per cent against the same period of last year.

Châu Công Bằng, deputy director of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said about 150,000 tonnes of farmed shrimp a year are produced in the province.

Shrimp cultivation uses hi-tech farming techniques. Farmers breed shrimp under various models such as industrial, intensive or extensive shrimp farming, super-intensive shrimp farming, and shrimp-rice or shrimp-forest farming.

The province has 2,510ha of super-intensive shrimp farming area with an average yield of 40-50 tonnes per hectare a crop. The model has a success rate of 85 per cent.  

The super-intensive area will be expanded to 2,800ha next year, according to the People’s Committee. 

Lâm Văn Bi, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee, said the fishery sector would be developed into a large commercial sector that has high yield, competitiveness and quality.

The province will also focus on breeding a broader variety of aquatic species and invest more in processing fishery produce. It is calling on investment in seafood processing and logistics services for fishing activities and fishing boat repair activities.

With its three sides bordering the sea, and a coastline of 254 kilometres, the province has great potential for developing brackish water and freshwater aquatic species.

Besides shrimp and mud crabs, farmers breed aquatic species like clams, snakeskin gourami, giant river prawns, giant mottled eels and marble goby.

In Cà Mau City, Tân Thành Ward and Tân Thành Commune are well known for breeding giant mottled eels and marble goby.

Huỳnh Văn Hận, who breeds giant mottled eels and marble goby in 21 ponds in Tân Thành Commune, earns a profit of VNĐ300 million (US$12,900) for each fish crop.

The quality of fry of giant mottled eel and marble goby is the most important factor in breeding the two fish species. Giant mottled eel and marble goby are easy to breed and have few diseases. Farmers use trash fish to feed them.

In recent years the two fish species have fetched high prices because of their delicious taste. Traders buy giant mottled eel and marble goby from farmers for around VNĐ450,000 ($19) a kilogramme.

Tân Thành Ward and Tân Thành Commune have 800 households who breed a total of 600ha of giant mottled eel and marble goby, with an average yield of 2.4-2.8 tonnes per hectare a year. VNS