All green lobster seeds have been imported

Production attains 4,032 tons

Mr. Tran Dinh Luan, Director of the Directorate of Fisheries, stated that domestic lobsters are naturally disseminated from Quang Binh to Binh Thuan coastal regions. However, at present, lobster aquaculture is primarily concentrated in three provinces, namely Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, and Ninh Thuan, which account for more than 95% of the area and output.

Specifically, lobster aquaculture in Phu Yen comprises more than 110,000 cages on an area of more than 1,650 hectares of water, primarily in bays, estuaries, and some coastal areas with protected and windy conditions. It is primarily concentrated in Vung Ro and Dong Hoa with approximately 17,000 cages, Xuan Dai Bay with nearly 60,000 cages, Cu Mong Estuary with more than 21,000 cages, and Tuy An with 14,555 cages. In the first eight months of 2023, production reached 1,517 tons, compared to 1,750 tons in 2022.

Marine aquaculture in Khanh Hoa is primarily focused on spiny lobsters. Van Ninh, Ninh Hoa, Nha Trang, and Cam Ranh are the four agricultural regions of the province. In 2022, the entire province had 68,666 cages and produced 1,375 tons, while in the first eight months of 2023, production increased to 2,998 tons. The principal species cultivated are the ornate spiny lobster (Panulirus ornatus) and the green/rock spiny lobster (Panulirus homarus).

In Ninh Thuan, the province has approximately 222 floating cages and 3,562 commercial lobster farming cages, which are predominantly concentrated in My Tan (Thanh Hai), Ca Na, and areas C1 and C2. Up until the end of August 2023, 51 tons of commercially harvested spiny lobsters were harvested.

"In 2022, the total number of spiny lobster cages in the United States was approximately 185,000, with a total cultivation volume of 4.5 million cubic meters and a yield of approximately 3,300 tons. In the first eight months of 2023, there were 185,879 enclosures containing more than 4,4 million cubic meters of space, and the production reached 4,032 tons," Mr. Luan noted.

Mr. Luan also noted that the predominant method of spiny lobster cultivation in our country is the use of iron cages covered with nets, and in some locations, cages submerged 1-1.5 meters below the surface of the water. Some locations in Khanh Hoa utilize floating enclosures on the surface of the water.

Imports provide the source of seeds

According to Mr. Luan, the annual demand for spiny lobster seed is currently between 80 and 90 million heads. Natural seed sources can only satisfy about 10% of the demand for ornate spiny lobsters, while 90% of ornate spiny lobster seeds and 100% of green spiny lobster seeds must be imported from countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Singapore.

The quality of imported juvenile spiny lobsters is unstable, according to a report from the Directorate based on actual surveys of juvenile lobsters. Some batches have a high survival rate, whereas others have a poor survival rate and slow growth (with mortality rates between 30 and 70%). This is because imported lobster juveniles have not adapted well to the Vietnamese environment or have endured lengthy transportation, resulting in low survival rates and sluggish growth.

There are presently more than ten companies specializing in the importation and distribution of seeds to various regions. The Veterinary Sub-Department of Region IV will certify and disseminate these seeds to the market (via nurseries/agencies/agents for further distribution to farmers) once they have passed through quarantine.

"Currently, some countries prohibit the export of lobster seeds, making it difficult to examine the quality of imported seeds. The import of seeds through various channels, including unofficial routes, makes it even more difficult to inspect the quality of imported seeds. Mr. Luan proposes that, in order to resolve these problems, it is necessary to negotiate and eliminate obstacles to the importation of spiny lobster seeds from Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Singapore.

Mr. Nguyen Van Long, director of the Department of Animal Health, stated that in 2022, the Department inspected approximately 85 million spiny lobster seeds, and in the first half of 2023, they inspected 43 million seeds. In May 2023, however, it was discovered that multiple shipments of spiny lobster seeds from Malaysia and Singapore were infected with white spot disease. In addition, several quantities of falsified inspection certificates were discovered.

According to Mr. Le Ba Anh, Deputy Head of the Department of Quality, Processing, and Market Development, live lobster farms that export to China are required to register so that production conditions can be evaluated in accordance with Vietnamese regulations. Once they satisfy the criteria, they must register with the Chinese Customs Inspection Bureau and await approval to be added to the list.

Mr. Ba Anh added that there are presently approximately fifty live lobster farms exporting to China, divided into two groups: green spiny lobsters and ornate spiny lobsters. Exports of green spiny lobsters are occurring as usual at this time, but the quantity has decreased compared to the previous year due to market supply and demand.

Mr. Phung Duc Tien, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, stated that a conference on spiny lobsters, a topic of great concern, must be organized in the near future. The conference will concentrate on reporting the status of the development of the spiny lobster in Vietnam, covering topics such as breeding, nutrition, scientific research, inspection, processing, and international cooperation. Specific solutions will be proposed subsequently. In addition, the exploitation of natural spiny lobster eggs must be correctly managed. Moreover, the current demand for imported spiny lobster seed is approximately 84-85 million individuals, making official inspection essential. Consequently, it is essential to strengthen the inspection, control, and quarantine of imported spiny lobster seeds.