To promote sustainable marine development, Phu Quoc City (Kien Giang Province) is transitioning from traditional open-sea fishing to offshore aquaculture, aiming to balance economic growth with environmental protection.

A new direction for growth

Under the 2023–2025 Marine Aquaculture Development Plan, with a vision to 2030, Phu Quoc aims to harness its coastal advantages to expand marine farming into an industrial, modernized sector.

The plan emphasizes harmonizing economic, ecological, tourism, defense, and security goals, while improving local incomes and livelihoods.

In recent years, Phu Quoc has invested heavily in shifting from capture fishing to sustainable aquaculture. As a result, its aquaculture output has grown by an average of 11.2% annually, with high-value species like cobia, grouper, pompano, American red snapper, sweet snails, pearl oysters, and mollusks thriving. Marine farming has opened up a new path for residents, significantly improving their quality of life.

Phu Van Bao, a longtime fisherman in Rach Vem hamlet, Ganh Dau commune, shared that as wild fish stocks declined, he switched to farming cobia offshore over a decade ago.

Using over 1 hectare of sea surface in Rach Vem, he now combines cage farming with a floating house to serve tourists. This model has notably improved his household's finances.

Doan Van Sang, head of Rach Vem hamlet, said the area is home to 172 households and over 700 people, most of whom depend on aquaculture and floating houses.

This integrated model provides daily incomes of 500,000–600,000 VND (approx. 20–24 USD), even for the elderly. Thanks to it, the hamlet has no poor households.

Restructuring the fishery sector for sustainability

Marine farming models in Phu Quoc are now being trained in environmental practices. Floating houses collect and transport waste and plastic ashore for disposal.

However, many structures remain rudimentary - built with barrels, keo wood, and standard nets. Without formal sea space allocation from local authorities, residents are hesitant to invest in high-tech systems.

Previously, farming was done nearshore without regulation. When new guidelines required a 600–750 meter distance from shore, residents complied.

Later, it was extended to 1,000 meters - and now to 1,200 meters - raising cost and complexity for farmers. Frequent policy shifts have created additional challenges.

According to the city’s 2023–2025 marine farming plan and 2030 outlook, over 1,245 hectares are zoned for aquaculture.

By 2030, all marine farming activities - regardless of species or method - will be rationally zoned. Every operation will be required to register, adopt information technology for scientific oversight, ensure traceability, and commit to sustainable practices.

Farming zones will be arranged as concentrated clusters with legal compliance, as defined by Vietnam’s 2017 Fisheries Law.

Huynh Quang Hung, Chairman of Phu Quoc People’s Committee, affirmed that the city is restructuring its fishery sector based on a balance between capture and aquaculture, ensuring long-term sustainability and effectiveness.

This includes gradually reducing the number of fishing vessels and wild catches, transitioning toward marine farming to relieve coastal fishing pressure.

Equipment must be environmentally safe and non-toxic to both marine life and ecosystems. The city also aims to increase productivity, ensure food safety, and create jobs to raise coastal community incomes.

By 2025, at least 50% of households in Ganh Dau and Bai Thom communes who wish to farm will receive allocated sea areas and cage identification numbers.

An Thoi ward and Tho Chau commune will complete marine farming arrangements, with at least 50% of cage-farming households and 100% of mollusk farmers assigned sea space and identification codes.

By the end of 2025, Phu Quoc aims to complete the marine farming value chain - including cages, mollusks, and other species - across coastal and island communes.

The goal is 100% sea-space allocation and registration for all traditional cage-farming operations around the island.

PV