Mangrove forests are valuable resources, important components of the blue carbon ecosystem, which are very important in contributing to climate change mitigation.
Although an industrial province, Dong Nai has a large and diverse mangrove forest area with great environmental significance. For sustainable development, Dong Nai creates conditions for the development of economic models under the forest canopy, which not only bring high economic benefits but also contribute to environmental protection.
In which, developing aquaculture models under the forest canopy in an extensive direction such as: shrimp, crab, brackish water fish... Although it is a farming model, aquatic products are still released in the wild, the food is mainly from nature, so it is still a natural specialty with high economic value, favored by the market.
Specialties sought after by the market
Dong Nai has nearly 8 thousand hectares of mangrove forests located in Long Thanh and Nhon Trach districts. In these localities, hundreds of households are assigned forests to raise aquatic products under the forest canopy, mainly in the form of extensive farming (local people call it shrimp, crab, and fish farming areas).
In this farming model, farmers mainly release the breed in the natural water environment, and the animals find their own food sources in nature.
Therefore, the quality of shrimp, crab and fish raised in tanks is almost no different from that of seafood caught in the wild.
Shrimp and crab farming under the canopy of brackish water forests at Phuoc An sub-school, Nhon Trach district, Dong Nai province. Photo: B.Nguyen
Mr. Luu Nhat Nam, who has lived on fishing and raising aquatic animals for more than 30 years at Phuoc An sub-school, Nhon Trach district (Dong Nai province) said that with this model, farmers mainly release the young animals, only feeding them solid food when they are still young, and the animals find their own food in the wild.
Compared with intensive farming model, extensive farming time is longer, aquaculture output is also much lower than intensive farming.
Shrimp, crab, and fish catching in the ponds are usually not done in batches, but daily, gradually harvesting the qualified shrimp and crabs. Each day, the ponds usually harvest only a few to a couple dozen kilograms, so supply cannot meet demand.
According to fishing households in Nhon Trach district and extensive aquaculture, in the past, brackish water aquatic resources in nature were quite abundant.
Recently, the output of natural seafood has been decreasing. Accordingly, extensively farmed seafood is sought after by diners, who are willing to pay high prices to enjoy it. Shrimp, crabs, and brackish water fish are mainly supplied to restaurants to serve the needs of diners, especially tourists, enjoying specialties at high prices.
Mr. Tran Hoang, a brackish water crab farmer in Long Phuoc commune, Long Thanh district (Dong Nai province) shared that the locality's advantage is that it is close to large urban areas, and in the future there will be an international airport, so farmers do not have to worry about having difficulty selling their specialty products.
Therefore, although there are brackish water seafood purchasing warehouses in the area, his family mainly sells to retail customers or supplies directly to specialty shops and restaurants. In addition, the number of retail customers, especially tourists, who come to the area to order specialties is quite large.
According to Mr. Hoang: “I often catch shrimp and crabs to sell at a stable price of 300,000-500,000 VND/kg. In particular, September and October will be the season when crabs have the most and most delicious roe. The price of roe crabs is 100,000-200,000 VND/kg higher than that of meat crabs.”
Currently, the price of farmed tiger prawns and crabs sold on the market is stable at 300-500 thousand VND/kg depending on the type. Brackish water fish such as brown fish, mullet, sea bass, catfish... are all specialties that sell at high prices.
Double benefit
Previously, most of the households fishing in the mangrove forests in Long Thanh and Nhon Trach districts were mainly poor people from all over the country. At first, they lived mainly on forest exploitation, especially natural fishing in the mangrove forests.
As brackish water natural aquatic resources are increasingly depleted, their lives are also facing many difficulties. The model of aquaculture under the forest canopy is a solution for sustainable forest development, bringing dual benefits: creating livelihoods for people and contributing to environmental protection.
Mr. Luu Nhat Nam, an extensive shrimp and crab farmer at Phuoc An sub-school, Nhon Trach district, Dong Nai province, catches shrimp and crabs every day to sell to consumers.
Local authorities, especially the Long Thanh Protective Forest Management Board, which is assigned the responsibility of managing and protecting mangrove forests, always create conditions for people to develop aquaculture models under the forest canopy.
Mr. Vu Van Duc is a household with 8 hectares of water surface for aquaculture in Phuoc An commune, Nhon Trach district, specializing in shrimp and crab farming under the mangrove canopy.
This year, the weather is erratic, so aquaculture is not as favorable as in previous years. However, farmers do not have to worry about losing everything like industrial shrimp farming due to disease. This model may not make you rich quickly, but it provides a fairly stable income, so farmers are confident in sticking with it.
Farmed giant tiger prawns are a specialty of the mangrove forests in Dong Nai that diners pay high prices to enjoy.
According to extensive aquaculture households in Long Thanh and Nhon Trach districts, the aquaculture model under the forest canopy is not as profitable as industrial shrimp farming, but this model has low investment costs, requires little care, and adapts well to the current erratic weather.
Because they are raised in a natural environment, shrimp, crabs and fish are almost free of diseases like industrial farming.
Farmers hardly need to use antibiotics or only use biological products so they do not pollute the environment. Therefore, extensive aquaculture specialties have good quality, ensure food safety and are favored by consumers.
Mussels - a specialty under the mangrove forest canopy in Dong Nai.
Mr. Luu Nhat Nam, an extensive shrimp and crab farmer at Phuoc An sub-school, Nhon Trach district (Dong Nai province) said that developing mangrove forests and preserving the forest environment will help aquatic products thrive.
Therefore, people living in mangrove forests also have more responsibility in protecting and developing mangrove forests. Thanks to that, the natural environment in this mangrove forest is very favorable for aquatic life to grow and thrive.
Source: https://danviet.vn/vo-rung-ngap-man-o-nhon-trach-cua-dong-nai-thay-la-liet-dac-san-nuoc-lo-nguoi-ta-tranh-nhau-mua-20240929004407119.htm
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