Conversion to mangrove based poly-culture systems from failed or extensive mono shrimp farms.

Objectives

The project aims to demonstrate ways to practice on mangrove-based poly-culture systems from failedextensive shrimp farms. The project will demonstrate the conversion through five different models/methods. 

Background

After the rapid development in the past few years, intensive shrimp farming has now resulted in shrimp loss and many environmental issues such as water pollution in Duyen Hai district of TraVinh province. Many households want to change into extensive or mangrove-based farming; however they find it difficult due to lack of money and technical knowledge. 

Target beneficiaries

• 05 households will directly participate in demonstration plots and receives technical training and support
• 30 farmers go on study tours to successful mangrove-based shrimp farming in Ca Mau province.
• 420 other farmers attend training courses and disseminate workshop

Outputs

• 05 mangrove-based shrimp farming conversion demonstrations are built
• 10 technology training programs & 4 workshops
• Communication material
• 10% of participants to training course apply the introduced practices

Accomplishments and challenges

The project results revealed that the survival rate of shrimp farmed by households involved in the project was higher than that of shrimp farmed by other households. Two households whose shrimp had a low survival rate of 6.5% -7.2% due to disease striking their farms gained the average yield of 0.088 tons / ha while the four remaining households whose  shrimp had a relatively high survival rate of 27-43% enjoyed the average yield of 0.592 tons / ha. Understandably, the four households’ success in shrimp farming with higher survival rates and yields than previous years has helped the farmers improve economic efficiency in the model of combined shrimp farming and mangrove planting. The two other farmers, despite being unable to achieve their targets of economic efficiency, could broaden their knowledge and gain experience which can be useful for their future shrimp farming seasons of higher efficiency.

Besides, the farmers have raised their awareness of the importance of mangroves for aquaculture, contributing to adapt to climate change. Therefore, the farmers have been very enthusiastic to plant more mangroves to gradually increase mangrove coverage. The total area of new forests planted in the farms in the project is 72,120 m².

Through training courses, workshops, study tours, etc., the locals have been able to grasp techniques of combined shrimp farming and mangrove planting: shrimp seeds must be checked for disease and kept and bred in hatcheries for the first 20 or 30 days before being delivered into ponds; their techniques of selecting mangrove seedlings, planting, caring and protecting mangroves have been enhanced.

The project got attention and assistance from the local authorities, unions, farmers' associations, etc. The farmers chosen to implement the model were very enthusiastic to participate and always complied with the technical process instructed by the project staff.

The project was able to include gender equality into the training courses, workshops and project management activities in order to create favorable conditions for both men and women in the community to get involved in aquaculture; raise their awareness of gender equality, respect for each other, sharing and jointly solving family problems.

Contributions to cross-cutting themes

• Gender equality
• Climate change adaptation

Lessons Learned

To increase the survival rate of shrimp, in addition to restoration of ponds and careful selection of good seeds, it is very necessary to ask the local farmers to stock their ponds on schedule defined by the local aquaculture agency.

It is necessary to help households following the model and other neighboring farmers raise their awareness of shrimp farming techniques, mangrove planting and caring, and the importance of mangroves for environmental protection. In the first stage of conversion to the model of combined shrimp farming and mangrove planting, it is very important to do research to choose the right mangrove species, locations, methods of planting to assure the success of the project.