Over the past three days, Bui Thi Dang, owner of 32 cage rafts holding approximately 3,000 cobia, has continuously called traders to buy fish directly from her rafts. The fish are selling for 30,000-90,000 dong per kg, a 2-6 fold reduction from typical prices. With the fish dying rapidly, her family must constantly oversee the rafts, using traditional coracle boats and larger vessels to move dead fish far offshore to prevent pollution. The remaining live fish are being sold off quickly to recoup their investment.

Masses of dead cobia are collected for disposal. Photo: Pham Chau

Dang reported that she initially stocked 7,000 fish, but only about 3,000 have reached market size. Her estimated losses from the fish deaths are around half a billion dong. "Most of our capital comes from bank loans and family members," she stated.

A similar crisis is impacting nearly 60 cobia cage-farming households across the island. Farmers have observed alarming symptoms in their fish, including loss of appetite, loss of mucus, the appearance of spots, and red bellies, leading to rapid death. This phenomenon is spreading quickly among many cage rafts.

The Ly Son People's Committee reports that approximately 30,000 cobia have died. These fish, weighing between 0,5 and 5 kg each, were largely nearing harvest. Farmers had previously relocated their cage rafts to the An Hai anchorage in an effort to protect them from adverse weather conditions.

Ly Son residents salvage live fish for a rapid sell-off. Photo: Pham Chau

Nguyen Van Huy, Chairman of the Ly Son People's Committee, confirmed that local authorities have deployed teams to inspect the affected areas and provide assistance to residents. The exact cause of the fish deaths has not yet been identified. Citing a shortage of aquaculture specialists, the local government has formally requested support from provincial authorities to investigate the disease, determine its origin, and offer guidance on appropriate mitigation strategies.

Specialized agencies advise farmers to continue monitoring water quality and implement technical measures to minimize further losses and safeguard their remaining cage rafts.

Pham Linh