Review of sandfish pond-culture progress in Vietnam

• Research Institute for Aquaculture No. 3, Vietnam

Coastal communities in Asia-Pacific are facing severe difficulties maintaining livelihoods based on fisheries resources. Attributes of sandfish (Holothuria scabra) make it particularly attractive for aquaculture. These include: a high market price; demand from China that currently swamps supply; benefits of farming a low food-chain species for which expenditure on food may not be needed (sandfish feed on organic material in pond sediments). Recent findings by WorldFish working in Vietnam and through an ACIAR-WorldFish project in New Caledonia indicate that sandfish can grow 2-3 times faster in earthen ponds than in the wild, with comparatively high survival. The objective of this project is to document recent progress and bottlenecks in both research and pilot-scale commercial trials in Vietnam. Covering all production phases, these trials present a unique opportunity to gather data that will shape future research to support industry establishment in Asia-Pacific.