Quang Ngai targets large-scale marine aquaculture development
Quang Ngai province is focusing on transforming aquaculture into a large-scale, commodity-driven sector, with a strong emphasis on offshore farming to boost economic growth and coastal livelihoods.
With a 130 km coastline and a network of estuaries and channels, Quang Ngai is ideally positioned to expand coastal and island aquaculture. Currently, key farming areas include Quang Ngai City, Duc Pho town, and districts such as Binh Son, Mo Duc, and Ly Son. Popular farmed species range from cobia, grouper, pomfret, and trevally to oysters and shrimp. These activities have significantly contributed to the local economy and improved living standards.
Traditional methods pose challenges
However, traditional farming practices still dominate, with limited investment in modern infrastructure, technology, and skilled labor. Environmental factors, including pollution and natural disasters, remain significant challenges for marine farming operations.
Licensing processes and marine area allocation for aquaculture are complicated by overlapping responsibilities among local agencies. For example, the Sa Huynh brackish lagoon in Pho Thanh ward, Duc Pho town, has supported aquaculture for over 15 years. Yet, water pollution near fishing ports has forced farmers to transition from cobia and grouper to oyster farming. Despite this, risks from storms and floods persist.
Similarly, in Ly Son district, a designated aquaculture zone near the southern coast of An Hai village remains unused because it lies within the strictly protected Ly Son Marine Protected Area.
Pham Thi Huong, Chairwoman of Ly Son district, urged the province to streamline procedures to attract large-scale, industrial investments while addressing safety measures, such as secure anchorage points for cages during the storm season, to protect assets for businesses and farmers.
Strategic goals and long-term vision
Under the province’s Development Plan for Marine Aquaculture to 2030, with a Vision to 2045, Quang Ngai aims to develop 180,000 cubic meters of marine cages, yielding 800 tons annually by 2030. The plan also includes establishing at least two product distribution networks post-harvest and one industrial-scale, high-tech farming project in offshore waters.
By 2045, the province envisions marine aquaculture as a large-scale, commodity-based industry that contributes to economic restructuring, reduces pressure on wild fisheries, and enhances coastal incomes. This effort is expected to align aquaculture with environmental conservation and tourism development goals.
In the short term, Quang Ngai will prioritize completing marine zoning plans to allocate areas for aquaculture, especially for nearshore cage farmers and those transitioning from fishing to aquaculture. Farmers will be encouraged to adopt modern, composite cages to replace traditional wooden ones, alongside the restructuring of farming zones.
“Our priority is to provide clear legal frameworks for marine farming operations while encouraging sustainable practices and technological innovation to improve productivity and profitability,” said Ho Trong Phuong, Director of the Quang Ngai Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
VFM
