Phu Yen struggles to clear and arrange aquaculture cages

Struggling

In recent times, coastal localities in Phu Yen province have taken steps to rearrange aquaculture areas in lagoons and bays. However, according to the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, as of now, the clearance and arrangement of aquaculture cages and rafts have not been completed according to the guidance of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, the Party Civil Affairs Committee of the Provincial People's Committee, and the Provincial People's Committee.

According to statistics, by the end of 2023, Song Cau town had approximately 1,830 aquaculture households with about 62,550 lobster cages, 1,800 oyster and green mussel farming rafts, and nearly 335 fishing nets.

According to the People's Committee of Song Cau town, through review, the town has more than 4,000 eligible households and nearly 1,500 ineligible households to be handed over water surfaces for cage aquaculture. In order to prevent the number of new aquaculture cages and rafts from arising in Xuan Dai bay and Cu Mong lagoon, communes and wards in the area are currently strengthening the work of aquaculture management.

The People's Committee of Dong Hoa town said that Vung Ro bay has about 390 aquaculture households and facilities with about 16,850 cages. In 2023, the locality prevented and promptly handled 13 rafts arising on Vung Ro bay for aquaculture.

In Tuy An district, by the end of 2023, the total number of aquaculture cages and rafts in the area was 14,750, of which about 12,950 were lobster farming cages. According to a report from the People's Committee of Tuy An district, after 4 years of clearing and rearranging the aquaculture area in O Loan lagoon, the locality has dismantled more than 6,160 rows of lanterns (each row is about 100m long) and confiscated more than 5,000 Thai pods.

For water surface areas of National Monuments, especially Da Dia Reef, the locality has disseminated and implemented preventive measures, so illegal aquaculture in the areas no longer occurs. Currently, localities continue to clear the shrimp farming pond built illegally in the O Loan lagoon area and develop a plan to arrange and hand over the aquaculture water surface of about 650 ha after planning.

According to Mr. Nguyen Tri Phuong, Deputy Director of the Phu Yen Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in Vung Ro bay, the number of aquaculture cages has increased 2.3 times compared to 2019. In Xuan Dai bay and Cu Mong lagoon, the current number of aquaculture cages has increased by 1,800 oyster and green mussel farming rafts. Localities have implemented statistics and assessments of the current status and number of aquaculture cages and rafts in lagoons and bays, but there are still some unstatized contents, such as types of materials for making cages and rafts. In Tuy An district and Sog Cau town, classification by groups to have handling plans and solutions has not been implemented.

Essential to remove entanglements

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Hong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Hoa town, the work of clearing aquaculture cages and rafts in Vung Ro faces many difficulties because they have existed for decades. All the while, the raft owners have not voluntarily relocated, although the locality has organized commitment signing, record-keeping, and handling of administrative violations. In particular, the most difficult task of organizing forced clearance is the handling of live shrimp and fish assets because the locality does not have a place or conditions to store shrimp and fish according to regulations. Therefore, in the immediate future, the locality is trying to prevent more cages from arising.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tuy An district, the locality is arranging an aquaculture area in the Hon Yen area, with an area of about 20 ha. The farming area is shifted to the southeast of Hon Yen with a depth of over 6m, about 400m from the shore, and at least 200m from the coral reef conservation area. However, there is no consensus because the proposed location is in the national marine spatial planning for the defense sector in the province. The district has written to ask for the opinion of the Provincial People's Committee.

Song Cau town also proposed that the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development speed up the progress of preparing and submitting for approval the master plan for developing the aquaculture industry in the province in the 2021–2025 period, with an orientation to 2030. At the same time, early advise the Provincial People's Committee to issue a document requesting the Government and relevant Ministries and branches to give their opinions on plans different from the aquaculture development area planning in Xuan Dai bay. Thereby, the locality has a basis for assigning marine areas to aquaculture households and granting codes for farming facilities, as well as implementing traceability and official lobster export.

Faced with entanglements and suggestions from localities, Mr. Nguyen Tri Phuong said that the Provincial People's Committee should chair a meeting discussing solutions to remove difficulties and entanglements for localities in farming areas and farming area, and plans to clear and rearrange aquaculture cages and ponds, especially in lagoons and bays. At the same time, the Provincial People's Committee needs to direct and clarify responsibilities for a lack of strict management to illegally increase the number of households, cages, and rafts in lagoons and bays.

Regarding the proposal of Song Cau town, Mr. Nguyen Tri Phuong, Deputy Director of the Phu Yen Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: Regarding the development of a master plan for developing the aquaculture industry in the province in the 2021–2025 period, orientation to 2030, up to now, some contents of developing the plan have been basically completed. The Department is accelerating the progress of completing the remaining contents, which it expects to submit to competent authorities for approval in the second quarter of 2024.