Development of a nursery and commercial cultivation of sea cucumbers

There are about 1,400 sea cucumber species, 40 of which are edible. Sand sea cucumber is the item with the highest nutritional value among sea cucumbers. Sand sea cucumbers used to be found in the wild in coastal areas of Vietnam, but shortages have arisen due to overfishing. Many sea cucumber species that are endangered or critically endangered have been listed as protected species (Vietnam Red Book, 2003).

The demand for dried sea cucumber has been increasing sharply in the markets of China and Southeast Asian countries, with the sale price of sea cucumber can reach 200-400 USD/kg, bringing great livelihood opportunities for the community. Coastal residents of Southeast Asia, Australia and the central Pacific region.

Commercial sea cucumber cultivation has only emerged in recent years, but initially provided farmers with a livelihood, gradually curtailing the exploitation of this seafood resource and contributing to environmental protection. This is in line with the current trend towards circular agricultural production.

In Vietnam, the technological process of seed production and commercial culture of sea cucumber was studied by Research Institute of Aquaculture III (Institute 3) within two ministerial-level projects. The period 2003-2004 is the subject of research. “Researching and perfecting the technological process of producing sand sea cucumber seeds in Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa”; and the theme “Research and development of a process for commercial production-scale production of sand sea cucumbers in ponds in some southern coastal areas” in 2008-2009.

In addition, Dr. Nguyen Dinh Quang Duy, Central Region National Center for Seafood Seeds, Institute 3, cooperated with University of Sunshine Coast (Australia) in 2018-2023 to implement the project “Upgrading Vocational Skills in Vietnam”. Supporting Community Farming of Sea Cucumbers in Vietnam and the Philippines” with funding from the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).

The results of these projects and projects have created a new economic development direction for sea cucumber cultivation in many places in the country, and helped to improve cultivation techniques to ensure the quality and improve the production capacity of sea cucumber.

The issue is the issue key topic

dr Nguyen Dinh Quang Duy said Institute 3 has so far mastered the technology of seed production and production-scale commercial agriculture. In 2019, the breast sea cucumber species was successfully further researched by Institute 3 for seed production and commercial cultivation.

In the shared aquaculture rearing area of ​​about 40 hectares, the National Center for Seafood Seeds in Central Vietnam uses 4 hectares to experiment and cultivate three kinds of sea cucumbers (black sea cucumber, sand sea cucumber and breast sea cucumber). The ponds are divided into many areas, both indoors and outdoors, suitable for every growth stage of the sea cucumber.

according to dr Duy, the newly formed larvae are very sensitive to light, so they should be incubated on suitable material boards (about 500 fish/plate) in an indoor tank for about 3 weeks to 1 month, and then transferred to the outdoor pond to grow as seeds. The most difficult phase in sea cucumber cultivation is spawning and larvae formation – these are the two phases that require the greatest use of treatment technology.

However, at the pond farm level, sea cucumber brood stocks are stimulated and fully fed, allowing them to continuously spawn for three to four years. This is also one of the advantages of sea cucumber farming. In particular, the ACIAR project combines buff sea cucumbers with snails and pomfrets, with a breeding period of 8-10 months, the recovery rate is over 70%.

“The issue of production is a key issue for stabilizing agriculture and it is also an issue that people worry about when they start cultivating a new species. At present, companies and people have established a certain connection. The task of the institute and researchers is to complete the technical steps and recommend the right process and product quality to the farmers. Companies like Vietnam Seagurke Company take care of production consumption, cooperate with people for stockpiling and sign contracts to make people feel safe in production, and calculate input and output costs. “This is the first step achieved in the tripartite alliance,” Mr Duy said.

Accordingly, the center can produce about 2.5 million breeds per year and plans to expand, but has yet to grapple with seed quantity and quality. According to the representative of Institute 3, Vietnam is currently one of the most successful countries in the commercial production of sea cucumber seeds and products with both scientific and commercial prestige. With the current positive results, Dr. Nguyen Dinh Quang Duy to develop a model for a Vietnamese sea cucumber farming center in the south-central region.

With the same seed production and scale of production as today that can ensure it is not exploited in the wild, companies, scientists and government agencies have worked to discuss solutions to remove sea cucumbers from the rare animal list.

3 million commercial sea cucumbers are expected to be purchased

Mr. Do Phuoc Kha, head of material area development department of Vietnam Sea Ginseng Company, said the price of pre-processed products the company signed with the people was VND200,000/kg. In order to ensure the benefits, the company also signed a contract for the consumption of products and the provision of seeds.

According to Mr. Kha, the annual production of sea cucumbers in Van Ninh and Khanh Hoa areas reaches 8 tons/year. However, this number is still small compared to market demand.

“This year the company plans to purchase 3 million commercial fish, an increase of 200% compared to last year. “In the coming years, the purchase volume will increase to 6-9 million cows,” said Mr. Kha.

The current product production is mainly for the culinary field, but in order to increase the value of sea cucumber, the company will focus on building a collagen, capsule and functional food processing factory and on in-depth research for the product.

Mr. Phan Van Tien from Tan Dan Village, Van Thang Township, Van Ninh, Khanh Hoa with nearly 15 years of sea cucumber farming experience said that the main diet of sea cucumbers is plankton and organic matter in seawater. Therefore, it is compared to a water purifier that purifies the environment. In addition, sand sea cucumbers can also be cultivated in combination with snails, pompano, fish; Breed rotation with grouper, black tiger shrimp and white shrimp.

“Over the years of growing sand sea cucumbers, I have found that this object is easy to grow, requires no investment in food, causes little disease, and most importantly, cleans the pond environment,” Mr. Tien said. With an area of ​​20 ha of pond connected to 8 other households and about 2.5 ha under his management, he stored an average of 20,000 seeds/ha, after 6-8 months of storage he will harvest. With an average selling price of around VND 200,000/kg (intestinal surgery), he earns around VND 360 million per year after expenses are deducted.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Ninh, deputy director of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (MARD), assessed that environmental and social issues are two factors that must be ensured in view of sustainable development. He appreciated that the projects supported by ACIAR mainly focus on creating livelihoods for the people. In addition, in terms of environmental sustainability, the objects of the project also serve to protect the environment such as mussels, sea cucumbers, etc., capable of filtering and purifying the natural environment. These subjects do not need to make large investments, do not need food, breeding and labor, while the economic benefits are high.

“I think that similar subjects need to be studied as well. “It is wise to choose a property that brings real economic efficiency, but it must ensure environmental sustainability and provide livelihood for people,” Mr Ninh said.