Collaborating to address the aftermath of the typhoon

Many aquaculture cages owned by the local farmers were submerged. Photo credit: thoibaotaichinhvietnam.vn

Severly damaged

Typhoon No. 3 and its aftermath caused serious damage to aquaculture in northern Vietnam, particularly in Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, and Hai Duong. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that, by September 15, 3,269 aquaculture cages were damaged or swept away, with Quang Ninh suffering the greatest loss, with 2,637 cages destroyed.

In Quang Ninh, the estimated losses amount to several thousand billion dong. Oyster farms were completely destroyed, and thousands of fishing boats and aquaculture facilities were severely damaged. In Van Don district alone, losses exceeded VND 2,200 billion, with mollusks, sea fish, and other marine products severely impacted. Meanwhile, Hai Phong province was affected by widespread power outages, which had a serious impact on shrimp farming.

In other provinces, including Bac Giang, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, and Phu Tho, hundreds of hectares of aquaculture farms were submerged or overflowed, resulting in a 30-70% loss of farming area. The total damages reached hundreds of billions of dong, disrupting production and creating major challenges for aquaculture farmers.

In addition, the State Bank of Vietnam branches in Quang Ninh and Hai Phong reported that nearly 12,000 loan customers were heavily affected by the storm, with total outstanding loans exceeding VND 26,000 billion. The agricultural, forestry, and aquaculture sectors in Quang Ninh alone accounted for over VND 5,541 billion of that total.

Initial recovery efforts

Immediately after Typhoon No. 3 passed, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development moved swiftly to support affected communities. Following the Prime Minister’s directive, Official Dispatch No. 6661/BNN-TS, issued on September 9, instructed provinces like Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, and Thai Binh to take action to restore aquaculture production.

Local authorities were tasked with collecting waste, disposing of dead aquatic products to prevent pollution and disease, assessing damages, and providing timely support to affected communities. Technical guidance for aquaculture recovery and post-storm care was provided, along with recommendations to use environmentally sustainable and weather-resistant materials for repairing aquaculture cage systems.

At a Ministry of Agriculture meeting, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien called for mobilizing international and business resources to provide seeds, feed, and equipment to affected farmers and companies. The Fisheries Department plans to organize a conference focused on production recovery, especially for marine farming, and will propose technical solutions to improve the safety and sustainability of aquaculture cages during storms.

The State Bank of Vietnam has also pledged financial support, offering loan extensions and debt rescheduling for affected businesses and farmers. Commercial banks are reducing loan interest rates and providing new capital to help restore production. VPBank, in particular, announced a 1% reduction in interest rates for medium- and long-term loans and a 0.5% reduction for short-term loans.

Nguyen Viet Thang, President of the Vietnam Fisheries Society, highlighted that the Aquaculture Vietnam 2024 International Exhibition would provide an opportunity to hold in-depth discussions on storm-related damages and explore climate change adaptation strategies to minimize future risks.

VFM