Sustainable development of marine cage aquaculture for poverty alleviation in Vietnam UDAYA SEKHAR NAGOTHU l In parts of Asia poor farmers traditionally grow fish. They consume or sell fish to generate income, adapt to the technology quickly and manage to get fingerlings from local sources (Edwards 2000). But, the conditions in the cage aquaculture sector in parts of south and southeast Asia are not so conducive to the entry of the poor. The problems are complex, which makes cage farmers vulnerable given their weak socioeconomic status and lack of adequate institutional framework to support their involvement in cage aquaculture. Despite such problems, several governments advocate sustainable development through policy changes without properly addressing the basic issues that constrain the poor. This makes it difficult for the poor to compete in the market while practicing sustainable methods of production and maintaining a livelihood simultaneously. The role of cage aquaculture as a tool for poverty alleviation is still uncertain, given the constraints in the sector and vulnerability of the farmers to environmental extremes and market fluctuations in this sector. According to Edwards (2000), there is very limited documentary evidence showing that cage aquaculture helps reduce poverty. TheParticipatory Poverty Assessment conducted in Ha Thinh, Vietnam (Action Aid 1999) provides some indication of the vulnerability of poor households involved in fishing and cage aquaculture. For example, dependency on depleted fishery resources is presented as a cause of poverty in one 48 MARCH 2007 coastal commune, while the ability to find alternative income through fisheries is seen as a way out of poverty. Aasen's (2000) study of coastal fishing villages suggests poorer households are those most dependent on fishing. According to Hambrey et al. (2000), cage aquaculture benefits the poor in several ways including food, employment, income and security. This study examines the potentials and constraints of cage aquaculture for supporting livelihoods of poor farming households. The assumption is that the activities of the poor cage farmers, in some way, contributes to sustainable production. A field study was conducted in 2003 in the Nha Trang bay area of Khan Hoa province, located in southeast Vietnam to analyze socioeconomic, institutional and policy issues. The study documented the constraints and needs of 60 small and poor farmers involved in cage aquaculture. Socioeconomic Characteristics, Farmer Assets, Seasonal and Market Influences Data from the Department of Fisheries (DOF) indicated that marine and brackishwater aquaculture increased more than four fold in the last 10 years. It started with brackish water pond culture, mainly for marine shrimp (Penaeus spp.) and also grouper (Epinephelus spp.), but in recent years the cage culture of spiny lobster (Panulirus spp.) has developed rapidly in Nha Trang. Spiny lobster is in high demand in the export market, especially to Japan. Nearly 80 percent of the produce is exported to international markets. Cage culture production in the study area is dominated by individual families that own and operate one or more cages in the coastal lagoons and sheltered bays. A typical household size in the study area is about 6.2 persons. Nearly, two-thirds of the households interviewed have low incomes, with an average of US$276/person/year. On average, aquaculture provides 60 percent of the income of households contacted. It is common for women and children to help in various activities including procurement of fish for stocking, cage maintenance and feeding. The cages in use are typically 10-32 m3, constructed with synthetic netting stretched over bamboo frames that have been produced locally. In addition, floating cages supported by plastic drums are used in the area. Several operators or families tend to aggregate their cages into groups, according to the location and convenience of each site. More than 60 percent of the respondents aggregated their farms in a cluster. Poor farmers find it convenient to aggregate in such groups because it provides them opportunity to share resources and services with others. The cage operators live on the floating platforms and take turns in protecting the farms at night. Typical features of a poor farmer involved in cage farming include lack of ownership titles to land or waters, use of small cages, low income, lack of access to credit and extension services, zero savings and a low level of literacy.
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