The south-central province of Khánh Hòa will set aside VNĐ545 billion (about US$22 million) to expand high-tech marine farming from now to 2029, following a successful pilot model in Cam Ranh City.

The province selected ten eligible farming households to participate in the pilot, providing them with 16 movable high-density polyethylene (HDPE) floating cages to raise marine fish and lobsters, director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Duy Quang said.

After a year in operation, the floating cages recorded outstanding profits compared to traditional farming methods. Specifically, cobia farming reached an average profit margin of 172 per cent, lobster farming 112 per cent and grouper farming 131 per cent, Quang said.

Under the project of 'Piloting high-tech marine farming', worth VNĐ1 trillion, the province will focus on developing high-tech farming across an area of three to six nautical miles off the shore in Vạn Ninh District, Ninh Hòa Town and Nha Trang Bay.

In the waters off Vạn Ninh District, the province plans to establish high-tech farming areas in the south of Đại Lãnh, the south of Mũi Đôi, the southwest of Lạch Cửa Bé, the northwest of Lạch Cửa Bé, the south of Hòn Me, Vũng Ké, Mũi Cổ Cò, Cùm Meo, the north of Cùm Meo and Rạn Trào.

In Ninh Hòa Town, the province will develop high-tech farming areas in the southwest of Hòn Chà Là, Bãi Giông, Hòn Thị and southwest of Hòn Lăng - Hòn Giữa.

In Nha Trang Bay, the farming will be done on an area of 13 hectares and to a depth of eight to 15 metres, with blue and cotton lobsters, cobia, seabass and pomfret being raised.

Several technologies will be used, including the movable HDPE floating cages, such as automatic feeding and automatic monitoring of the cages and solar energy.

The target is to improve productivity and value of the aquaculture industry, raising marine farmers and others’ incomes through creating jobs, improving socio-economic conditions, exporting high-quality fisheries products, ensuring food safety and generally meeting market demand.

The province aims to protect the marine environment through sustainable development, gradually forming a marine farming area three to six miles from shore, reducing near-shore farming and minimising conflicts over coastal space.

Khánh Hòa will focus on controlling the quality of varieties and providing farmers with financial support to encourage them to adopt high-tech marine farming, chairman of the provincial People's Committee Nguyễn Tấn Tuân said.

In addition, the province will provide aquaculture planning and draw up policies to facilitate the participation of farmers in the project, Tuân said, adding that resolutely handling cases of aquaculture farming that do not comply with the planning would also be included.

Khánh Hòa currently has over 97,000 aquaculture cages, with an annual output of around 18,000 tonnes. — VNS