## White-fleshed and Delicious: The Story of the Ca Bong Lau Fish in Vietnam
Ca Bong Lau is a white-fleshed, delicious fish species native to Vietnam.
In Vietnam, the Ca Bong Lau fish is predominantly farmed in the Cuu Long and Hau rivers region. This egg-laying fish spawns the most between May and August. Each Ca Bong Lau fish can lay tens of thousands of eggs during the breeding season, with a high hatching rate.
This fish species is of significant economic importance in the Mekong River region, particularly in the Cuu Long River Delta. It can grow to a large size, reaching up to 15 kg, and is known for its firm, nutritious meat. The Ca Bong Lau fish is popular in the market due to its white, tender flesh and rich flavor. Many farmers have seized this market opportunity and achieved great success by switching to Ca Bong Lau farming.
One such farmer is Lam Thanh Lam from Soc Trang province. He experimented with raising Ca Bong Lau in ponds and found that they thrived in brackish water. Starting in 2016, he purchased Ca Bong Lau fingerlings and released them into a pond adjacent to his shrimp pond. After more than a year of careful farming, he harvested the fish and sold them at a high price.
Mr. Lam’s successful Ca Bong Lau farming model
Initially, he released 4,000 fingerlings into a 2,000m2 pond. With his years of experience in shrimp farming, taking care of the Ca Bong Lau fish was not a difficult task. After 13 months of careful rearing, the fish reached an average weight of 1.2-1.3 kg. In his first harvest, he yielded over 5 tons of fish per 2,000m2, selling them to traders at a price of 100,000-120,000 VND per kg, four to five times higher than the price of tra fish. After deducting all expenses, he made a profit of over 400 million VND.
Encouraged by this success, he expanded his farming area to five ponds, totaling 5,000m2. Currently, Mr. Lam’s Ca Bong Lau fish are growing well and have a low incidence of disease. To ensure a high survival rate, he maintains a stocking density of 2 fish per m2. He estimates that his annual revenue can exceed 1 billion VND, earning him hundreds of millions of VND in profit per harvest.
On a larger scale, in the Cuu Long River Delta, farmer Nguyen Tam Dang from Tien Giang province has found success with Ca Bong Lau farming. In early 2007, while looking for a special local delicacy to treat his guests, he came up with the idea of farming Ca Bong Lau, a rare and sought-after fish in the region.
Mr. Dang harvesting Ca Bong Lau in his pond
After a period of research and learning, he leased 5 hectares of water surface from failed shrimp farmers in 2009 and purchased 25,000 Ca Bong Lau fingerlings from a company in Can Gio, Ho Chi Minh City, to start his farming venture. Although he faced setbacks in his first two attempts, he persevered and succeeded in his third try. From there, he began supplying Ca Bong Lau and tra bần fingerlings to companies in An Giang and Dong Thap provinces.
In 2010, Mr. Dang leased nearly 10 hectares of land in Tan Phu Dong district and released about 23,000 fingerlings for experimental farming. After multiple trials with different types of pellet feed, he successfully domesticated and raised Ca Bong Lau in static water ponds in a semi-wild manner. After 12 months of farming, he harvested approximately 20 tons of market-sized fish.
Riding on this success, he continued farming by releasing over 31,000 fingerlings sourced from wild-caught broodstock. Currently, his fish have an average weight of 900 grams to 1 kilogram. Each harvest can bring in hundreds of millions of VND in revenue.
Meanwhile, in Ben Tre province, Le Hong Phuong owns a 2-hectare Ca Bong Lau farm, generating an annual income of over 1 billion VND after expenses.
Mr. Phuong’s Ca Bong Lau ponds bring in billions of VND in profit annually
In 2014, when shrimp farming faced challenges and economic downturns, Mr. Phuong sought alternative farming options. In 2017, he explored new opportunities and discovered the economic potential of Ca Bong Lau farming. This led him to venture into the domestication and commercial farming of this fish species.
Initially, he utilized 1,200m2 of his shrimp ponds lined with tarpaulin and released a few hundred Ca Bong Lau fingerlings purchased from boats and ships fishing in the larger rivers. After 20 months of successful rearing, he expanded his farming area to over 2 hectares. He sells both market-sized fish and fingerlings to other farmers.
Currently, the market price of Ca Bong Lau ranges from 100,000 to 160,000 VND per kg, depending on the season. It takes about 20 months for the fish to reach a weight of approximately 4 kg. Mr. Phuong harvests around 40 tons of fish annually, earning 5-6 billion VND. His profit margin is 30-50%.
Inspired by Mr. Phuong’s success, many households in the region have followed suit, adopting Ca Bong Lau farming and achieving financial prosperity in their hometown.
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