Two species of oysters – Pacific cupped oysters (Crassostrea gigas or Thunberg) and Crassostrea sp - have just been commercially bred the very first time at two lagoons of Thi Nai and De Gi in Binh Dinh province. The breeding is very promising.
The two species of oysters are provided by Research Institute for Aquaculture no. 3 to Binh Dinh Aquaculture Breeding Centre. The institute also transfers techniques of incubating and breeding to the centre.
Total 110,000 oysters, including 62.000 Pacific cupped oysters, were bred at the two lagoons from August 2010 to May 2011. Each species of the oysters are being bred in separate areas.
After 3-3,5 months, the oysters reach weight of 10-12 oysters/kg and are available for sale. The oysters at Thi Nai Lagoon grow quickly due to abundant food – planktons and seaweeds. Oyster farmers need not to feed them. In addition, the lagoon is very windy, leading to lots of waves, providing the oysters much oxygen. These are favourable conditions for the mollusks’ growth.
At De Gi Lagoon, the Pacific cupped oysters grow faster and give more meat than the Crassostrea sp oysters. In contrast, at Thi Nai Lagoon, death rate of the former is higher the latter. In dry season, the death rate is very low, just 10%.
The experiment of oyster breeding will finish within the next one year. The duration is long enough to evaluate which season (dry or rainy) is best for the oyster farming. The centre will improve its techniques of multiplication to satisfy needs of local farmers all year round. In the near future, the centre will transfer the oyster breeding know-how to local people living around the two lagoons.
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