Golden Pompano Farming Adapts to Climate Change
In Lien Huong commune, the golden pompano farming model utilizing HDPE circular cages is showing initial effectiveness. The new cage technology enables robust fish growth, reduces risks from rough waves and winds, and provides a foundation for farmers to expand operations toward modern marine aquaculture actively adapting to climate change.
HDPE Cages for Golden Pompano Adapt to Rough Seas
In the Ganh Rai marine farming zone located in Village 1 Binh Thanh, Lien Huong commune, Ngo Hieu Hoai is raising golden pompano in 21 square cages and 5 HDPE circular cages. Engaged in marine farming since 2019, he initially raised grouper and cobia. Over time, he realized that local sea conditions made scaling operations difficult due to heavy waves and strong currents. Mr. Hoai decided to pivot to golden pompano—a resilient species with strong swimming ability that adapts well to local sea conditions—and tested 1 HDPE circular cage with successful results.
By early 2026, he was selected by the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center to receive support for implementing the golden pompano farming model using HDPE circular cages. The model comprises 4 triple-rim HDPE circular cages with a circumference of 40 meters, 40,000 fingerlings, and 33,600 kilograms of commercial feed, with total funding of over 2.7 billion VND, including more than 1.3 billion VND contributed by his family.
According to Hoai, the most evident advantages of HDPE circular cages are the spacious rearing environment and strong resistance to waves and winds. Golden pompano naturally swim continuously, so when raised in a broad space, the fish exercise well, grow relatively uniformly, stay healthy, and suffer fewer diseases.
Another key advantage that influenced his choice of golden pompano is that their primary food source consists of commercial pellet feed rather than trash fish, which becomes scarce during rough seas. This allows farmers to be more proactive in feed management.
As the fish grow larger, feed consumption increases. Commercial feed prices have risen by 15 to 16 percent, driving up input costs. "The key is maintaining fish yield, minimizing losses, and strictly controlling feed volume. If you overfeed and the fish do not consume it all, it wastes feed and causes excess to drop through the cage. Generating profit requires very careful calculation," Mr. Hoai shared.
According to his estimates, for fish raised for about 6 months, the feed conversion ratio remains around 2.0, meaning approximately 2 kilograms of feed yields 1 kilogram of commercial fish. After 6 to 8 months, golden pompano reach 400 to 500 grams and can be harvested for sale, depending on farming conditions and feeding volume.
Heading Toward Sustainable Marine Farming
In 2026, Hoai is raising approximately 300,000 golden pompano, expecting a yield of around 150 tons—marking his first expansion beyond 100 tons. "Moving forward, I plan to gradually transition to HDPE circular cages and scale up golden pompano farming," Hoai stated.
Nguyen Dan Nam, the officer in charge of the model from the Lam Dong Agricultural Extension Center, stated that practical application shows HDPE cages possess high durability, withstand rough waves and severe weather, and help reduce risk of loss during storm seasons while lowering repair and maintenance costs. The farming environment improves due to good water circulation, reducing water pollution risks, curbing diseases, and raising survival rates. Consequently, productivity and economic efficiency progressively improve, building confidence among local residents to transition to modern marine farming models.
According to the Lien Huong Commune Economic Office, the golden pompano farming model using HDPE circular cages in Village 1, Binh Thanh represents one of the development directions for high-tech, climate-resilient marine aquaculture. More importantly, the model enables farmers to access new production methods, enhance technical applications, utilize resources efficiently, and minimize operational risks. This serves as a basis for local authorities to monitor, evaluate effectiveness, refine techniques, and consider replication to gradually elevate the value of marine aquaculture sustainably.
"In large cages where fish swim continuously, they stay healthy and grow fast. When encountering rough waves, HDPE cages provide greater peace of mind. Wooden cages require frequent repairs and maintenance at high cost."
Ngo Hieu Hoai, Village 1 Binh Thanh, Lien Huong Commune