Status quo of grasscarp cage culture on Luoc river and Thai Binh river in Tu Ky district, Hai Duong province

Abstract

This paper provided the information of the current status of grass carp cage culture on Luoc and Thai Binh rivers in Tu Ky district, Hai Duong province, based on the results of a survey of 149 households with a total of 1133 fish cages. The survey was carried out from October 2021 to January 2022. This shows that the grass carp takes place mostly in the cage culture system (85,35%) with a popular size of 162 m³ (6m × 9m × 3m). Stocking densities were 12 – 15 fish/m³ at 0,5 – 1,0 kg/fish. All households used pellet feed with an average of FCR = 2,5 plus grass and vegetables. Grass carp cultured for 12 – 15 months reach 6,0 kg/fish with a price of 48.000 VND/kg and production of 66,1 kg/m³ per cage. The pellet feed cost was more than 80% of product costs. Grass carp cage culture often suffers from hemorrhagic disease, scale loss, and gill rot – the disease often occurs and causes damage in the winter months (October to December of last year to January of next year) at the size of 1,5 – 2,0 kg/fish cumulative mortality up to 15% of total stocked fish. Currently, this area is raising grass carp with a low-profit rate of 6,85%. This paper provides information to help the planning region of fish cage culture achieve economic efficiency and sustainable development of fish cage culture on rivers.