Tuyen Quang Hydropower reservoir has favourable conditions for breeding specialty fish

The reservoir covers a total area of over 8,000 ha.

It has many advantages when raising fish in cages on the reservoir, such as taking care easily, high-density farming, available food and it could raise a variety of fish species, especially specialty fish, contributing to cost reduction and income increase.

Besides, there is full of oxygen in the reservoir’s water as well as the flow of water is always circulated that is very favourable for raising fish. Thereby, the quality of fish is high and the fish become favourite fish of consumers.

In Na Hang District, it has more than 100 fish breeders raising more than 1,000 fish cages. Of which, there are two local businesses and two local co-operatives raised fish in a large scale. The total yield reaches about 700 tonnes each year.

Specialty fish farming has brought many local breeders with a stable income.

Phung Xuan Cuong is one of the first local breeders to raise specialty fish on the bed of the reservoir in Na La Village, Son Phu Commune.

After several years of raising fish, he now has seven cages of fish to raise marbled goby (Oxyeleotris marmorata) and naked catfish (Bagridae).

Cuong said he earns a profit of about VND 50 million (USD2,184) each year.

Phung Xuan Son, a resident of Son Phu Commune, is also one of pioneers in farming caged fish in the commune.

Son said he borrowed VND 100 million (USD4,382) from a local bank in 2018 to build four cages to raise fish.

He now owns a total of nine cages of fish so far, he said.

There are 13 households raising fish with a total of 93 cages in Da Vi Commune in the district. Each cage has a size of 6-8 cubic metres. Fish breeders could harvest about 25-30 kg of fish per each cubic metre.

Luong Van Tan, of Xa Thi Village in the commune said he borrowed money from the district’s Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development to buy 10 cages of fish to raise naked catfish (Bagridae) and black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) since 2015.

Tan said thanks to right techniques, the fish has grown healthy and being harvested at the right time.

Therefore, on average, Tan earns about VND 100 million (USD4,382) each year, he said.

Production linkage

The connection between caged-fish farming and consumption has also been promoted in the district.

The programme of connecting production and consumption of specialty fish among Duc Nguyen Seafood Co., Ltd; Nhat Nam Seafood Co., Ltd with local breeders raising specialty fish has been operated.

Vi Anh Duc, Deputy Director of Nhat Nam Seafood Co., Ltd. said that the company is currently linking with 10 local breeders to invest in building cages to develop breeding of specialty fish, including marbled goby (Oxyeleotris marmorata), naked catfish (Bagridae) and snakeheads (Channidae) under safe standards.

Under the contract between the company and the local breeders, after the fish are available to be harvested, the company will buy all the fish, he said.

Thanks to the linkage, the company has reduced investment and management costs but still having enough products to serve the market.

Along with the linkage, the company has also raised 40 cages of naked catfish (Bagridae) by its own that helps the company to serve an additional of 80 tonnes of naked catfish to the market each year.

In addition to providing fresh fish, the company also exports processed fish products of grilled chopped fish, fish fillets and fried naked catfish to the foreign markets.

While the demand of the market is higher and higher, the specialty fish farming has been also more developed in the district.

Moreover, the district has also promoted the development of experience tourism, linking local breeders with local restaurants with a hope to open a new direction for specialty fish farming in this district.