Shrimp farming for tourism in mangrove forests

Mr. Ty’s shrimp farm in Tam Hiep hamlet, Rach Goc town, Ngoc Hien district, about 40 km from Dat Mui, has a forest coverage rate of more than 70%.

Mr. Ty has nearly 15 years of experience with the shrimp farming model under the forest canopy, so he understands the characteristics of this type along with how to protect the forest and aquatic products below for effective exploitation. “Compared to the traditional model, taking advantage of shrimp farming for tourism helps increase income many times,” Mr. Ty said, adding that having additional income also motivates households to protect forests and make farming. green tourism.

He built tourism activities right on his land, focusing on exploiting experiences that only the locality has such as rattling to catch shrimp, removing fish traps, fishing for mudskippers, and setting traps to catch crabs. In addition, Mr. Ty also cooperates with hotels to provide accommodation services for guests when needed.

Mr. Ty’s forest land for tourism was assigned to him by his father-in-law to cultivate in the 2000s. At that time, he both produced and bought and sold shrimp and crabs to make a living. Despite our best efforts, our family only has enough income to live, making us always worry about finding a new direction.

A few years later, the road to Dat Mui was completed and the government encouraged households to do community tourism. Initially, his family opened a coffee shop and then a rest stop. Gradually, when interacting with tourists, Mr. Ty realized that when coming to Ca Mau, they liked to participate in rustic activities.

Thinking about it, Mr. Ty boldly invested in perfecting business procedures and converting the farming model to tourism. Up to now, among the activities in the mangrove forest, removing fish traps is the experience that attracts the most tourists. Dumping dates is a way of catching fish that has existed since ancient times in the West. This is a form of using palm branches (small tree branches) arranged into mounds to lure fish to reside in river sections or water areas that are not too deep in the shrimp pond.

Nowadays, fishing is becoming less and less because people use more types of fishing with more modern tools. Depending on the time, each tourist costs about 150,000 VND/visit to participate in this activity at Mr. Ty’s facility.

In addition to catching aquatic species in the traditional way, when coming here, visitors also enjoy dishes made from the products they catch themselves.

The point that makes tourists excited when experiencing tourism products in Ngoc Hien district is seeing with their own eyes the thousands of mangrove forests. Mangrove is a species that lives in coastal mangrove areas, typical of Dat Mui. The roots of mangrove trees spread and grow close together, creating a unique ecosystem. At Mr. Ty’s tourist destination, the more than 60-year-old mangrove tree is still kept, attracting tourists to come and admire it.

According to Mr. Ty, this mangrove tree existed before his father-in-law came here to clear the wasteland, and then the state contracted the forest land. At that time, the family could not cut down this tree because the canopy was too wide and the root system was large and difficult to move. With everyone’s advice, the square owner kept the tree for breeding purposes.

The mangrove tree has a trunk divided into 11 mangrove trees, more than 10 meters high, becoming a tourist attraction, check-in point and fun activities. About every 3 years, the family will prune the branches once to help the tree grow.

Currently, the mangrove forest ecosystem here develops from the fruit of that more than 60-year-old mangrove tree. Of the more than 8 square hectares of shrimp combined with afforestation, Mr. Ty kept about 7 hectares unexploited, ensuring the inherent unique mangrove ecosystem.

The policy of making tourism from unique products that do not affect the forest is one of the directions of shrimp farm owners. He mainly built small bridges so that tourists could move around, take pictures, and rest. The mangrove canopy is wide so visitors can sit or climb on the trunk. Beneath the mangrove roots, a diverse mangrove ecosystem is also formed with shrimp, crab, and fish species typical of Dat Mui region. This is also a place for guests to experience finding crabs and setting nets to catch fish.

“I understand that preserving the mangrove forest means retaining tourists,” Mr. Ty said.

By creating shrimp farming experience tourism in the mangrove forest, Mr. Ty’s model attracts 1,500-2,000 visitors each year. Combined with selling more seafood, Mr. Ty’s family earns about one billion VND in profit each year.

Tourist Le Thi Tham, Ho Chi Minh City, said that only when she came to this mangrove land did she see all the natural beauty of Ca Mau. Here, she and her friends were immersed in nature and experienced unique fishing activities of local farmers. “The people are very enthusiastic and friendly, making us feel like we are returning home,” she said.

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ca Mau, the province has 27 tourist areas and destinations, including two provincial-level tourist areas. After a period of operation, the units have gradually exploited and promoted the advantages and potential of each household in the process of exploiting and developing tourism. The community ecotourism model is of interest to people, contributing to protecting and developing forests, protecting the natural environment, creating jobs, increasing income, and reducing poverty sustainably.