Raising cold water fish in the highlands generates billions of VND in income

The 2-hectare-wide fish farm on the mountain

Mr. Nguyen Quang Huy’s Khau Pha sturgeon farming facility is located on Khau Pha pass (Cao Pha commune, Mu Cang Chai district) with an area of about 2 hectares. The owner invested in solid and methodical construction with many separate areas such as a fish nursery, running water pond, and water treatment.

Mr. Huy shared: “More than a decade ago, Lam Dong province was the leading locality in the country in raising sturgeon and salmon, so I went there to learn. After that, I decided to invest in the Khau Pha sturgeon farming facility because Mu Cang Chai has a cold, clean water environment and high dissolved oxygen.”

Each year, the Khau Pha sturgeon farming facility releases 50,000 fingerlings, yielding about 50 tons of commercial fish. Fingerlings weigh 100-150 grams and can reach 2-2.5 kg/fish after more than 1 year. With sturgeon prices ranging from 200-250 thousand VND/kg, Mr. Huy earns about 4-5 billion VND each year.

Currently, Mu Cang Chai district has sturgeon farms, with a total area of over 3.6 hectares, annually supplying nearly 90 tons of commercial fish to the market. According to fish farmers here, raising sturgeon emphasizes effective management of the water environment, including the amount of oxygen, water flow, and water temperature.

In Tran Yen district, sturgeon are farmed concentratedly in Viet Hong commune with four small and medium-sized farming facilities, of which Mr. Dao Van Phu’s model in Ban Na is the largest.

In 2019, Mr. Dao Van Phu and Mr. Hoang Van Binh in Ban Na, Viet Hong commune, jointly invested in building a sturgeon farming facility with a scale of more than 2,300 square meters, with 11 fish breeding tanks and 24 fish breeding tanks. 

Mr. Phu shared: “The profession of nursery and commercial sturgeon farming does not take much effort but requires high technical skills, especially to ensure a sufficient supply of clean cold water, sterilization, and temperature regulation. If the water meets the right standards, the fish will be healthier. The fish’s food is mainly industrial food or small shrimp. The facility can raise 5,000 fish/batch, yield more than 10 tons, and bring in an income of nearly 1.5 billion VND.”

Sturgeon has also been successfully raised in Na Hau commune (Van Yen district) with the participation and methodical investment of Na Hau Agriculture and Tourism Cooperative. Currently, the cooperative has 13 members with 24 floating canvas tanks, two canvas-lined ponds and four tanks built of reinforced cement, with a farming scale of 10,000 fish/litter. Na Hau sturgeon products also achieved 3-star OCOP certification at the provincial level in 2022. The cooperative has applied VietGAP standards for the Na Hau sturgeon brand.

Environment and water resources determine success or failure

To sustainably develop cold water fish farming, it is necessary to focus on several factors such as the market, water source, and living environment. The Yen Bai fisheries industry is implementing many solutions for sustainable development, minimizing the vulnerability of this industry due to environmental problems.

The province’s strategy for developing cold-water fisheries in the coming time is not to increase the farming area, but instead to focus on scientific and technical applications, disease prevention, and quality management. The province aims to pay special attention to protecting forests, water sources, and strictly handling acts that damage the natural environment.

Mr. Hoang Ngoc Dai - Deputy Director of Yen Bai Provincial Fisheries Sub-Department, said: “Currently, Yen Bai province is encouraging the farming of a number of specific products and specialties with local advantages, such as cold water fish (sturgeon, salmon) farm development in highland communes of Mu Cang Chai, Tram Tau, Van Chan, Van Yen, Tran Yen districts.”