Living adrift on the bed of a hydroelectric reservoir raising fish in cages (Video: Thai Ba).
Cage fish farming on the Hoa Binh hydroelectric reservoir (Hoa Binh province) has been around for more than ten years. Over the years, the profession has helped dozens of households change their lives by selling specialty fish from the hydroelectric reservoir. With economic development, many households have expanded their cage fish farming model. Currently, on the Hoa Binh reservoir, there is a cage fish farm of about 3 hectares, the largest in Hoa Binh province.
To raise fish in cages, people must invest in a system of boats, rafts and fish cages made of barrels floating on the water surface. The system of fish cages will be tightly linked together by welded iron bars to hold the nets submerged in the water. The fish cages are from 15-20m2 wide, some cages are up to 30m2 wide. The area of the cage depends on the type of fish raised with a suitable density.
People who work in fish cages live on the lake's surface all year round. They use a fish watchtower as their home, and all their activities revolve around the hut, which is more than ten square meters wide. Every day, their main job is to feed the fish, check on the fish, and prevent diseases for the fish. Their joy is to see the fish grow every day.
Mr. Ha Cong Huong (35 years old, residing in My Hoa commune, Kim Boi district) and his wife have been raising fish in cages on Hoa Binh lake for the past 9 years. He said that besides him and his wife, there are about 20 other people living on the lake to raise fish in cages.
"Every day we wake up early in the morning, visit the fish cages, feed the fish, then check, repair, and reinforce them to make sure the fish cannot escape, if necessary," Mr. Huong shared.
Most of the people who live on the lake to raise fish in cages are healthy young men. Mr. Pham Van Thinh, the owner of the fish farm, said that living on the lake, surrounded by water on all four sides, the cage fish farming profession requires people with good health to withstand the wind, rain, and waves.
Mr. Dinh Viet Long (36 years old), graduated from the Faculty of Aquaculture - Nha Trang University, has been working with fish cages on Hoa Binh Lake for 4 years, talking about his work: "The living environment of fish in floating fish cages on the lake must be regularly cleaned to ensure the best for the fish. Therefore, we have to clean by disinfecting with lime powder, feeding the fish vitamin C every 3 months to increase their resistance".
Mr. Long added that every year, from May to July is the best time for fish to grow, and from July to November is the flood season, the lake water is often polluted so the fish grow slowly. At this time, fish cages need to be controlled for diseases more strictly.
Mr. Pham Van Thinh said: "I came to the fish cage farming profession on Hoa Binh Lake in 2012, by chance. Since starting the profession, I have loved it very much. The cages bring jobs to the people, helping to develop the profession in the locality. We try to expand the scale of the farm for that purpose."
With an area of 3 hectares, Mr. Thinh’s fish cage farm is the largest in Hoa Binh Lake at present. Every year, many units and organizations inside and outside the province come here to learn about fish cage farming experience.
"The fish farmers on the river are provided with accommodation with full amenities. Necessities are supplied every 4-5 days. Although not as good as on land, we always try to support the workers to have the best conditions for living and working, ensuring their daily life," said Mr. Thinh.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hoa Binh, the province currently has the largest number of fish cages on the reservoir in the country with 4,750 cages, with an output of 5,594 tons, accounting for 77% of the province's aquatic production value. The development of fish farming in the reservoir also creates jobs and stable income for more than 5,000 local workers.
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