Tapping into seaweed 'gold mine': A new path to increase livelihood

Sea grapes revive shrimp and snail farming areas once in loss

For years, shrimp and sweet snail farming in Dong Ninh Hoa ward, Khanh Hoa province, has faced continuous difficulties due to diseases and environmental changes. Many ponds and lagoons were left abandoned. Burdened with debt, many locals seemed on the verge of leaving their hometowns to seek work elsewhere. Yet a quiet "revolution" took place. Residents shifted to cultivating sea grapes, reviving the aquaculture areas that once suffered losses and opening a new path for Dong Ninh Hoa ward.

According to Mr. Tran Van Hoan from the Dong Ha residential area, his family has been cultivating sea grapes for over 10 years on ponds that were once used for inefficient and unprofitable shrimp and sweet snail farming. Initially starting with just a few plots, he gradually expanded the area after seeing the effectiveness. As of now, his family's area of sea grape farming has reached nearly 2 hectares.

Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Minh, from Residential Area 7, Binh Tay, Dong Ninh Hoa ward, began sea grape farming in 2019 after his offshore fishing work became unstable. He now owns 1 hectare of sea grapes, earning several hundred million VND annually.

"The sea grape industry has formed and thrived locally for more than a decade, bringing stable economic efficiency to farmers. Sea grapes are considered a 'lifeline' for those who once failed in shrimp or sweet snail farming, which are high-risk sectors vulnerable to disease. The sea grape farming model is assessed as stable, requires no feed, and offers sustainable profit potential with minimal vulnerability to disease risks," Mr. Minh shared.

Great potential, paving the way for sustainable development

Khanh Hoa province holds tremendous potential for developing seaweed in general and sea grapes in particular. According to Mr. Le Dinh Khiem, Head of the Khanh Hoa Sub-Department of Fisheries, Seas and Islands, the province possesses a 490-kilometer coastline with more than 200 large and small islands. It also has numerous wind-sheltered lagoons and bays with suitable salinity levels, a narrow temperature variation range, and deep, clean waters. Thus, the province has extremely diverse seaweed resources. Compared to shrimp or fish farming, seaweed cultivation typically requires much lower investment capital.

Mr. Khiem added that it is possible to combine sea grape cultivation with shrimp or caged fish farming or make use of inefficient ponds previously used for sweet snail, shrimp farming, or salt production, thereby diversifying income sources.

According to Mr. Le Minh Chau, Vice Chairman of Dong Ninh Hoa Ward People's Committee, the ward currently has 55 hectares of sea grape farming. Sea grapes bring high income and make an important contribution to creating jobs for a large number of local idle workers, especially women.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thuan, a worker in Dong Ninh Hoa ward, stated that women are mainly responsible for sorting, cleaning, and packaging sea grapes after harvest, while men are typically in charge of diving and harvesting at sea. Each worker spends about 4–5 hours a day harvesting, earning around VND 250,000–300,000. During peak harvest seasons, when demand is high, daily earnings can rise to VND 400,000–500,000/person.

In addition to sea grapes, Mr. Le Dinh Khiem, Head of the Khanh Hoa Sub-Department of Fisheries, Seas and Islands, noted that the province also cultivates cottonii seaweed (Kappaphycus alvarezii). This seaweed species is mainly grown in Dai Lanh commune, covering nearly 60 hectares, with a total yield of 196.8 tons in the first nine months of 2025.

According to the Khanh Hoa Sub-Department of Fisheries, Seas and Islands, the entire province currently has about 61 hectares of sea grapes, primarily concentrated in Dong Ninh Hoa ward (55 hectares). In the first nine months of 2025, total sea grape output reached 580 tons.

The leader of Dong Ninh Hoa ward emphasized that the sea grape farming model contributes to restructuring the local agricultural economy toward sustainability, increases local budget revenue, ensures social welfare, and improves the people's quality of life.