Verification of semi-intensive shrimp culture techniques: Vietnam.

Abstract

Vietnam has about 260,000 ha devoted for shrimp culture in early 1999. The total production was estimated at about 80,000 tons in 2000, so that productivity was about 300 kg/ha only. In 1990–1997, vast areas of mangroves were destroyed by many fish farmers for conversion into shrimp culture ponds. The Vietnam Government and local authorities have been trying to mobilize and educate farmers for them to refrain from destroying mangroves for shrimp culture; and at the same time promote increased shrimp productivity/ha in order to increase profit; and generate employment without necessarily destroying the mangroves.

Cathai is an island district in north Vietnam with 12 communes in two islands, Catba and Cathai. Phulong Island in Catba Island, has the largest mangrove area. Before 1990, the total mangrove area of Phulong was about 2000 ha but in 1998 only about 1200 ha remained, because about 800 ha had been converted into shrimp ponds.

However, due to lack of technology in shrimp culture especially the semi–intensive pond culture, production ranged from 200 to 300 kg/ha/crop, while in extensive ponds, production was only 50–70 kg/ha/year. Local authorities and the people of Phulong have been expecting to increase productivity from shrimp culture. Using the mangrove-friendly shrimp technology modeled by the Philippines and Thailand, the objective of the semi–intensive shrimp pond culture activity in Vietnam is to obtain 1000–1500kg/ha and to develop a model for an improved shrimp culture system.

In the Memorandum of Agreement signed between the Ministry of Fisheries and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center for the implementation of the Project in Vietnam, the Research Institute for Marine Products (RIMP) in Haiphong was chosen to carry out the demonstration activity focusing on the semi–intensive mangrove-friendly shrimp culture in Phulong, Cathai District, Haiphong, Vietnam. The ponds used for the Project had a total area of about 6.0 ha. Construction of the pond facilities following the Project’s scheme was completed in December 1999.