A Study On The Establishment Of Sustainable Shrimp Farming Industry And Its Challengenges In The Mekong Delta, Vietnam

A Study on the Establishment of Sustainable Shrimp Farming Industry and Its Challenges in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! NGUYEN ANH MINH The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences Department of Bio-resource Production Chair of Regional and Global Resource Economics Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, JAPAN A dissertation submitted for degree of DOCTOR OF FISHERIES 2022 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation is the result of research conducted under the Aquaculture and aquatic economics and management F8 belong to Can Tho University Improvement Project VN14-P6 with funding from ODA loans scholarship - Can Tho University Improvement Project - for funding throughout the years period in Kagoshima University I would like to express my gratitude to Kagoshima University for enabling my studies and Can Tho University for granting me study During the past three years, many people and organizations have contributed in different ways to my research Without their assistance, advice, constructive criticism, collaborations and support this thesis would not have been possible I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to my promoters Prof Sano Masaaki and Associate Prof Kuga Mizuho in the Faculty of Fisheries at Kagoshima University for their invaluable advice, guidance, and encouragement from the start to the accomplishment of this thesis Although they have many students to be supervised their time and effort are fairly distributed I really appreciate their work and value their assistance beyond expression ! i! I also express my thanks to my lab buddies, Ms Keiko Kito, Ms Diem Quyen for their experience and comprehensive knowledge through comments, discussion and academic interaction that contribute to lessons for me This thesis is developed from invaluable information, experiences and support from many shrimp farmers, collectors, traders, and processing companies, as well as staff from the government in Nam Can and Thoi Binh districts, Ca Mau province Especially shrimp farmers in Thoi Binh district, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all of them for supporting me during the field trip Due to the impact of the Covid pandemic, I could not directly participate in the field trip in Thoi Binh, everyone had arranged so that my team could collect the necessary data I am so grateful about this Many thanks are my colleagues and students from the Department of Sociology, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Can Tho University, Vietnam for their continuous encouragement and support during the time of this PhD study Without you I could not have spent such a long time in the Mekong Delta for my fieldwork as well as the time in Kagoshima I have also received a lot of support from the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Can Tho University, Vietnam I would like to express my special thanks to Dr Nguyen Thanh Binh for all the arrangements, support, and encouragement I ! ii! thank my friend, Ms Thanh Thuy, for her help with logistic arrangements during my fieldwork in Ca Mau I also extend my thanks to my Vietnamese friends in Kagoshima: Duy Khoa, Toan and the families Ngoc Thanh, Duyen Tu as well as the rest of the Vietnamese community in Kagoshima Thank you all for sharing with me the happy but also the sad moments This will be a memorable and unforgettable part of my life You are the second family away from home I dedicate this thesis to my parents Mr Nguyen Anh Sang and Mrs Hua Thanh Nhan who have always encouraged their children to become well educated They have also taken care of my family although we lived in Kagoshima I thank my younger sister, Nguyen Hai Minh for supporting and continuously encouraging me as well as taking care of my parents in Vietnam This work is also for my parents-in-law for love and encouraging me during the past three years This dissertation is dedicated to all of you The last but the most important thing is that my deepest gratitude goes to my beloved husband, Nguyen Ha Vinh for persistent love, support and care throughout my life This work would be impossible without him He makes my dream come true He is always there to take care of our children so that I can have peace of mind for work as well as assist me to overcome the most difficult times while studying To my sons, Nguyen Minh Khoi and Nguyen Minh Quan, I would like to say that you are my ! iii! everything That is a source of my motivation and energy to complete this difficult research I am so sorry because sometimes, I am really busy and I not have enough time to anything as I want to with you I am so grateful for the time that I and both of you have shared a range of emotions and good memories at Kagoshima city as a second hometown You all deserve this dissertation./ Kagoshima, December 2021 Nguyen Anh Minh ! ! iv! DECLARATION This thesis is the result of my own work and research with the collaboration of advisors, vice-advisors and staff at Kagoshima University as well as interviews performed at points of data gathering throughout the field trip in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam between 2019 and 2021 This thesis has not been previously submitted, in the part or whole to any degree, diploma or other qualification This paper is 31,075 words, 27 tables, 19 figures Signed: Date: NGUYEN ANH MINH Phd thesis, Kagoshima University, Faculty of Fisheries The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, JAPAN ! ! v! SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Title: A study on the Establishment of Sustainable Shrimp farming industry and Its challenges in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam Author: NGUYEN ANH MINH Shrimp aquaculture plays an important key in the economy of Vietnam However, the significant development of shrimp culture has revealed problems that need to be considered with the aim to ensure sustainability of the shrimp industry The thesis was conducted with objectives: (1) To understand past and present changes in the shrimp industry and to describe the characteristics of the ISFS in coastal provinces of the MD; (2) To analyse the current situation of the MS; (3) To analyse the current situation of the RS; (4) To compare between MS and RS to point out advantages and problems; (5) To propose recommendations for future sustainable development of the shrimp industry in the MD In terms of the first objective (1), a case study was carried out in four coastal provinces via interviewing 80 key shrimp farmers in Ca Mau and Kien Giang province in order to understand the currently context and the characteristics of integrated shrimp farming systems in the MD The second objective (2) was conducted in Nam Can district of Ca Mau province throughout the field trip in 2019 The integrated mangrove–shrimp farming system is ! vi! currently the best solution to ensure the development of the shrimp industry and protect mangrove forests Based on the desk study, interview experts, group discussions and households surveyed, the study points out mainly problems that need to be addressed for sustainable development of this system in the future Regarding integrated rice shrimp farming systems (3), the research was carried out by taking a survey with 82 households in Thoi Binh district in 2021 The integrated riceshrimp farming system is considered as a strategy for sustainable development to deal with the problem of saline intrusion in the coastal areas of the MD However, the study indicated that the system is not successful as expected because the profit is low and rice crops completely depend on natural conditions The profit is lower than integrated mangrove shrimp production models The comparison between two systems in the fourth objective (4) to find out key advantages and problems Integrated mangrove shrimp and rice shrimp farming systems are very suitable in the natural condions of coastal areas, especially towards small scale farmers The research, however, also found out that mangrove shrimp is more sustainable and profitable in shrimp production than rice shrimp farm systems All things considered, the research emphasizes that (1) integrated shrimp farming system is a sustainable system that should be considered to apply for coastal areas of the Mekong Delta; (2) Mangrove shrimp farming systems is the best strategy to ensure the development of the shrimp industry and protecting mangroves; (3) Rice farming is ! vii! considered as sustainable system in the future but to develop this system, it should be considered problems including water resources, the quality of shrimp seed and rice varieties, and the market; (4) Mangrove shrimp farming is more stability than rice shrimp farming (5) To achieve sustainable development, the Vietnamese government should address problems and have suitable policies for each system to promote and ensure the long-term development of the shrimp industry./ ! viii! TABLE OF CONTENT Acknowledgements i Declarations v Summary/Abstract .vi Table of Content ix List of Tables xvii List of Figures xix List of Abbreviations and Acronyms xxi Chapter I: GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background 1.2 Exploration of the Problems 1.3 Research objectives and research questions 1.3.1 Research questions 1.3.2 Research objectives 1.4 Research methodology 10 1.4.1 Steps of study 10 1.4.2 Selection of the study site 12 1.4.3 Research approach 12 1.4.4 Data analysis 15 1.5 Scope of the study 15 ! ix! 1.6 Structure of the dissertation 16 Chapter II: RESEARCH CONTEXT: THE SHRIMP FARMING SYSTEM IN THE MEKONG DELTA 20 2.1 The shrimp industry in Vietnam 20 2.1.1 The development process of shrimp farming 20 2.1.2 Shrimp farming area and production 23 2.1.3 Shrimp farming systems 24 2.2 The shrimp farming in the Mekong Delta 28 2.2.1 Natural, Economic and Social conditions 28 2.2.2 Description of the study sites from provinces to commune level 33 Chapter III: LITERATURE REVIEWS 42 3.1 Status of shrimp farming in the Mekong Delta 42 3.2 Integrated shrimp farming systems 45 3.2.1 What is integrated shrimp farming? 45 3.2.2 Integrated mangrove-shrimp farming systems 47 3.2.3 Integrated rice-shrimp farming systems 48 Chapter IV: CHARACTERISTICS OF INTEGRATED SHRIMP FARMING SYSTEMS IN THE MEKONG DELTA OF VIETNAM 51 4.1 Introduction 51 4.1.1 Vietnamese shrimp industry 51 ! x! 4.1.2 The development of the shrimp industry in Vietnam 52 4.2 Research questions and objectives 53 4.3 Study sites and research setting 53 4.3.1 Study sites 53 4.3.2 Research approach 56 4.4 What is an integrated shrimp farming system? 57 4.4.1 Shrimp farming systems in the Mekong Delta 57 4.4.2 What is integrated shrimp farming? 60 4.4.2.1 Integrated rice-shrimp farming system 60 4.4.2.2 Integrated mangrove-shrimp farming system 65 4.5 The advantages of integrated shrimp farming systems 70 4.5.1 Low investment 70 4.5.2 Low risks 72 4.5.3 Environmental protection 73 4.5.4 Minimal chemical use 74 4.5.5 Organic shrimp production 75 4.6 Key takeaways from the study of integrated shrimp farming system 77 Chapter V: CURRENT STATUS AND CHALLENGES OF INTEGRATED MANGROVES-SHRIMP FARMING SYSTEMS IN THE MEKONG DELTA ! 79 xi! 5.1 Introduction 79 5.1.1 Integrated mangrove-shrimp farming systems 79 5.1.2 Research questions and objectives 81 5.2 Methodology 82 5.2.1 Study site 82 5.2.2 Research methods 84 5.2.3 Respondents’ data 85 5.3 Historical development of integrated mangrove-shrimp farming in Ca Mau 86 5.4 Current situation of mangrove-shrimp farming systems in Ca mau province 90 5.4.1 Capital 90 5.4.2 Labour resources 93 5.4.3 Fishing ground 94 5.4.4 Products 95 5.4.5 Market 99 5.5 Problems with the mangrove-shrimp farming system 101 5.5.1 Limited access to capital 101 5.5.2 Limitations on access to water resources 103 5.5.3 Limitations on access to production 105 ! xii! 5.5.4 Limitations regarding market access 106 5.6 Key takea ways from the study of integrated mangrove-shrimp farming systems 106 Chapter VI: CURRENT STATUS AND CHALLENGES OF INTEGRATED RICE-SHRIMP FARMING SYSTEMS 109 6.1 Introduction 109 6.1.1 Integrated rice-shrimp farming system 110 6.1.2 Why study is integrated rice-shrimp farming system 109 6.1.3 Research question and objectives 111 6.2 Methodology 112 6.2.1 Study site 112 6.2.2 Research methods 113 6.2.3 Respondents’ data 115 6.3 Historical development of integrated rice-shrimp farming in Ca Mau province 116 6.3.1 Rice-shrimp farming system in Ca Mau province 116 6.3.2 The development process of rice-shrimp farming system in Ca Mau province 117 6.4 Current situation of rice-shrimp farming systems in Ca Mau province 118 6.4.1 Capital 118 ! xiii! 6.4.2 Labor resources 119 6.4.3 Fishing ground 121 6.4.4 Production 122 6.4.5 Market 126 6.4.6 Short summary of current situation in study sites 127 6.5 Analysis the problem of integrated rice-shrimp farming systems 132 6.5.1 Water resources 132 6.5.2 The seeds 133 6.5.3 Market 134 6.6 Key takeaways from the study of intergrated of rice shrimp farming systems 135 Chapter VII: GENERAL ANALYSIS OF INTEGRATED MANGROVE SHRIMP AND RICE SHRIMP FARMING SYSTEMS 137 7.1 The key advantages of integrated shrimp farming system and their effects on shrimp farming in the coastal areas 137 7.2 Highlighted problems of integrated mangrove shrimp and rice shrimp farming systems 144 7.2.1 Problems of integrated mangrove shrimp farming systems 144 7.2.1.1 Limited access to land use rights and credits 144 7.2.1.2 Limitations on access to farming techniques and ! xiv! fishing grounds 146 7.2.1.3 Limitations on access to production 147 7.2.1.4 Limitations regarding market access 148 7.2.2 Problems of integrated rice shrimp farming systems 149 7.2.2.1 Water resources and the irrigation 149 7.2.2.2 Shrimp seeds and rice varieties 150 7.2.2.3 Market 151 7.2.3!Comparison between integrated mangrove shrimp and rice shrimp farming systems 153 7.2.3.1 Common problems of two systems 154 7.2.3.2 Problems of mangrove shrimp farming systems 155 7.2.3.3 Problems of Integrated rice shrimp farming systems 157 7.3 Farmer’s perception in two systems towards the problems 158 7.4 Key takeaways from the study of analysing 161 Chapter VIII: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 162 8.1 Integrated shrimp farming systems (chapter 4) 162 8.2 Integrated mangrove shrimp farming systems (chapter 5) 163 8.3 Integrated rice shrimp farming system (chapter 6) 163 8.4 Stability in shrimp production (chapter 7) 164 8.5 Recommendations to local authorities for future development 164 ! xv! 8.5.1 Integrated mangrove shrimp farming systems 164 8.5.2 Integrated rice shrimp farming systems 167 REFERENCES 172 APPENDICES 182 ! ! xvi! ... Fisheries The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, JAPAN ! ! v! SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Title: A study on the Establishment of Sustainable Shrimp farming industry and Its challenges in the Mekong. .. advantages of integrated shrimp farming system and their effects on shrimp farming in the coastal areas 137 7.2 Highlighted problems of integrated mangrove shrimp and rice shrimp farming. .. in four coastal provinces via interviewing 80 key shrimp farmers in Ca Mau and Kien Giang province in order to understand the currently context and the characteristics of integrated shrimp farming