Collaboration for Agriculture & Rural Development:: " Technical and economic feasibility of applying the Better Management Practices (BMP) to household aquaculture in Vietnam - MS 9 " pot

The report proceeds with an analysis of central project staff and experts competencies and ability to train provincial extension staff and trial farms Section 2, follow by an assessment

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

COLLABORATION FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (CARD)

002/05 VIE

Technical and economic feasibility of applying the Better Management Practices (BMP) to

household aquaculture in Vietnam

MS 9: Staff Competencies Report

Research Institute for Aquaculture No 1 (RIA1), Tu Son, Bac Ninh

The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, NEDLANDS WA 6907

- 2008 -

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CARD Collaboration for Agriculture and Rural Development

CoE Centre of Extension

HAU Hanoi Agriculture University

PCC People Committee of Commune

MoFI Ministry of Fisheries

NAFIQUAVED National Fisheries Quality Assurance and Veterinary Directorate RIA1 Research Institute for Aquaculture Number 1

UWA University of Western Australia

ViFINET Vietnamese Fisheries Research and Education Organization Network

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Organizational chart of RIA1 6

Figure 2: Some pictures of projects’ training materials 11

Figure 3: Some pictures of training courses for extension staff and trial farms 12

Figure 4: Some pictures of training courses (group discussion) 12

Figure 5: Some pictures show team leader present the discussion results 13

Figure 6: Presentation of projects’ coordinator at ViFINET workshop 14

Figure 7: Presentation of projects’ coordinator at the young scientists workshop 14

Figure 8: Chart of projects’ organization in provinces 17

Figure 9: Some pictures of project activities in Nghe An province 20

Figure 10: Some pictures of project activities in Ha Tinh province 20

Figure 11: Some pictures of project activities in Thua Thien Hue province 21

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I INTRODUTION 5

1.1 Brief introduction 5

1.2 Acknowledgements 5

1.3 Disclaimer 5

II COMPETENCY OF RIA1 STAFF AND PROJECTS’ VIETNAMESE EXPERTS IN BMP AND ABILITY TO TRAIN FISHERIES EXTENSION STAFF AND MOTIVATED FARMERS 6

2.1 The main information of Research Institute for Aquaculture Number 1 6

2.2 The key officers and experts of RIA1 participating project 7

2.2.1 The current status situation at the start of the project 7

2.2.2 Selection of project staff and experts 7

2.2.2.1 Selection of project managers 7

2.2.2.2 Selection of project shrimp culture expert 7

2.2.2.3 Selection of project fisheries disease expert 8

2.2.2.4 Selection of project aquaculture environment expert 8

2.2.2.5 Selection of project socioeconomic and community base management expert 9

2.2.2.6 Selection of guest expert on aquaculture quality management and food safety management 9

2.1.3 Competency of projects’ staff and experts in BMP techniques and ability to train fisheries extension staff and farmers 10

2.1.3.1 Training materials to train extension workers and trial farms 10

2.1.3.2 Training methodologies 11

2.2.4 Some other activities that improving project staff capacities 13

2.2.4.1 The short trip of project team to University of Western Australia 13

2.2.4.2 Attendant of the international workshop in aquaculture at Cantho University 14

2.2.4.3 Attendant of the young scientists workshop at RIA1 14

2.2.4.4 Supervision of bachelor and master students 15

III COMPETENCY OF PROVINCIAL EXTENSION STAFF AND ABILITY TO TRAIN SHRIMP FARMERS ON BMP 15

3.1 Selection of provincial officers and extension staff to implement project 15

3.1.1 The results of local staff selection to implement project and the organization chart of project at local level 16

3.1.1.1 Nghe An province 16

3.1.1.2 Ha Tinh province 16

3.1.1.3 Thua Thien Hue province 16

3.1.1.4 Project organization chart at local level 17

3.1.2 Competency of provincial extension staff 17

3.1.2.1 Nghe An province 18

3.1.2.2 Ha Tinh province 18

3.1.2.3 Thua Thien Hue province 18

3.2 Some main results of training shrimp farmers implemented by extension staff 19 IV COMPETENCY OF DEMONSTRATION FARMS AND CONNECTION WITH SHRIMP COMMUNITIES IN LOCAL 21

4.1 The competency requirements of demonstration farms 21

4.2 Connection demonstration farms with shrimp communities 22

4.2.1 In Nghe An province: 22

4.2.1 In Ha Tinh province: 22

4.2.3 In Thua Thien Hue province: 23

V EFFECTIVENESS AND SUSTAINABILITY OF AQUA-CLUBS/ASSOCIATIONS AS A MECHANISM OF EXTENSION BEYOND TARGET SMALL HOLDERS 23

5.1 Selection of suitable shrimp aquaculture communities to develop sustainability at the project end 23

5.2 Shrimp aquaculture communities organization and project promotion to local organization 23

VI APPENDISES 25

6.1 Appendix 1 Curriculum Vitae of some project staff 25

6.2 Appendix 2 The outline contents of some training materials 40

6.3 Appendix 3 Lists of farmers attended training courses 43

I INTRODUTION

1.1 Brief introduction

This report presents the information on competencies of Vietnamese persons or organizations who implementing the CARD 002/05 VIE project In the highest of endeavor, the authors tried to show brief and sufficient results of capacities assessment

of the projects’ related parties though the collected information The parties that were assessed in this report include 3 groups that are: i) persons or organizations at central level; ii) persons or organizations at provincial level; and iii) persons or organizations at local level

The report proceeds with an analysis of central project staff and experts competencies and ability to train provincial extension staff and trial farms (Section 2), follow by an assessment of provincial project extension staff and ability to trial local shrimp farmers (Section 3), competencies of local project staff and demonstration farms and the connection to the communities (Section 4), and the effectiveness and sustainability of aqua-clubs/ associations in project locations (Section 5) The report finishes with the appendices that occupies important information of some project staff CV, outlines of training materials contents, and lists of attended farmers of training courses

1.2 Acknowledgement

To complete this report, the authors received a lot of personal and organizational information from related persons and parties The authors would like to thank the projects’ staff, experts, extension workers, field staff, communes/cooperatives, shrimp communities, demonstration farms and shrimp households in the projects’ locations By many ways, direct or indirect, organizations and persons who cited in this report provided

a very suitable information to contribution of report completion Once again, the authors give the acknowledgments to they all

1.3 Disclaimer

The information contained in this report is based on sources believed to be reliable While this report preparation, every information has been verified in this report Therefore, RIA1 and UWA do not give any prediction, assurance or warranty in relation

to the accuracy of or fitness for any particular use or application of, any personal information or scientific information or other result contained in this report Neither RIA1 and UWA nor any of its employees shall be liable for any costs, claim, liability, damage, loss, injury or the like, which may be suffered or incurred as a direct or indirect results of the reliance by any person on any information contained in this report

VIETNAMESE EXPERTS IN BMP AND ABILITY TO TRAIN

FISHERIES EXTENSION STAFF AND MOTIVATED FARMERS 2.1 The main information of Research Institute for Aquaculture 1

Research Institute for Aquaculture No.1 was established in 1963 Throughout its 45 years of development, RIA1 has gone through many difficulties and has emerged as an institute that plays an important role in aquaculture development in North Vietnam Currently, the RIA1 is a multifunctional institute focused on research, extension and training in aquaculture and resource protection

At current time, RIA1 has 360 staff (2007) Young staff and staff who hold bachelor and high education qualification have significantly increased, making up to 53% (190 people) The number of staff with a doctorate qualification is 8 and 11 PhD students, 34 staff have master degrees Most young staff have professional knowledge in aquaculture and related fields

RAI1, currently, has 7 departments, 5 research centers and 1 sub-institute The main function of institute is to carry out technological and scientific research in the field of aquaculture including genetic and seed production, aquaculture techniques, environmental management and disease prevention; resource protection and development for coastal and freshwater areas; post-harvesting technology; and technology innovation and transfer

Figure 1: Organizational chart of RIA1.

2.2 The key officers and experts of RIA1 participating project

2.2.1 The current status situation at the start of the project

At the start of this BMP project, many staff and experts at RIA1 had a significant understanding of Better Management Practice theory However, there were no any similar project implemented by RIA1 Therefore, experiences in carry out and implement apply BMP into produced reality is limited Additional, BMP application to shrimp aquaculture requires a collective knowledge on culture techniques, environmental and disease monitoring, socio-economic and community base development Actually, RIA1s’ researchers are responsible for different fields

In order to overcome the constraints as above, the selection of project staff who have a professional knowledge and experiences to participate project is a requirement Beside, a very important thing is to group staff which different fields to implement the project Therefore, at the start of the project, selection of appropriate staff to join project in order

to carry out success and sustainable at project end

2.2.2 Selection of project staff and experts

2.2.2.1 Selection of project managers

After approving of the project by CARD, Dr Le Xan, Vice Director of RIA1 was nominated as project director by Director of RIA1 Dr Le Xan has more than 30 years of experience in marine and brackish water aquaculture and many years experience in project management Thus, the project director who is direct management and operation

of this project had a professional knowledge on shrimp aquaculture and project management skills This is a first advantageous of the project Mr Nguyen Xuan Suc was nominated as the project coordinator Mr Suc has a ten years experience in project implementation or project management that related to rural development (please see attach of CV for more details)

2.2.2.2 Selection of project shrimp culture expert

Shrimp culture expert who was responsible for project implement of shrimp culture techniques and related activities The culture expert has also responsibly to draft culture techniques document and to train, to transfer shrimp culture knowledge to extension staff and farmers through training courses and workshops that held during project implementation In addition, the culture expert has an important mission to propose, to solve problems, constrains of culture techniques for shrimp farmers during crops To

meet the above requirements, Dr Nguyen Van Quyen, from Marine National Broodstock Center, was nominated as shrimp culture expert of project Dr Nguyen Van Quyen has more than 30 years experience in marine and brackish water aquaculture Of which, brackish water aquaculture is the professional experience of Dr Quyen Dr Quyen had successfully implemented a number of project that related to shrimp aquaculture

techniques of different shrimp species such as P monodon, P japonicus, M ensis, P orentalis and he is an expert in shrimp seed production in North Vietnam (for more

detail please see attach of CV)

2.2.2.3 Selection of project fisheries disease expert

Fisheries disease expert who help project team to monitor and solve problems that related to shrimp disease during shrimp crops Fisheries disease expert has responsible to provide knowledge on shrimp diseases and disease management to extension staff and farmers through training courses Disease expert provide methods and labs to check shrimp seed before stocking due to free of diseases seed for farmers in the project locations In addition, disease expert has responsibility to monitor the shrimp health during crops in order to limit the damage for shrimp farmers in the project areas Satisfaction of requirement, Dr Le Van Khoa, from Center for Environment and Disease Monitoring in Aquaculture, was nominated as fisheries expert of project Dr Le Van Khoa has more than 10 years experience research on fisheries disease and disease in aquaculture (for more detail please see attach of CV)

2.2.2.4 Selection of project aquaculture environment expert

Environmental management in aquaculture, specially in shrimp culture is an important role to results of production of shrimp farmers Environment expert of project requires a person who has a professional knowledge in water environment management Concurrently, environment expert need to has abilities, skills to transfer and guide extension staff and demonstration farms monitoring and testing the environmental indicators during shrimp culture crops Additional, environment expert was responsible

to draft environment management documents and train extension staff and farmers on environment monitoring and testing through training courses and workshops To meet those, Mr Mai Van Ha, from Center for Environment and Disease Monitoring in Aquaculture, was selected as environment expert of project Mr Ha has around 10 years

of experience in study and implement environment and related issues Mr Ha was also managed or participated many projects that related to rural development (for more details please see attach of CV)

2.2.2.5 Selection of project socioeconomic and community base

management expert

Small-scale shrimp aquaculture in Vietnam is a community base operation In this operation, many resources is shared among shrimp farms in community such as water resource, environment issues Small-scale shrimp aquaculture is also required associating individual farm into group in order to reduce constraints and bring into play advantages for example shrimp disease risk limiting, general environmental management, market chain linkage and so on Therefore, the socioeconomic and community base management expert play an important role to connect closely among producers and between shrimp communities and others related partners such as local authorities, research units, extension units, and enterprises that supply for and consume

of products On the other hand, socioeconomic and community base management expert has a responsible to draft documents and transfer related knowledge to extension workers and shrimp farmers through training courses and workshop Mr Dinh Van Thanh, from Center for Fisheries Technology Transfer, Application and Design Consultancy, who meet requirement, was selected as socioeconomic and community base expert of project Mr Thanh has more than 30 years experience in aquaculture and

in the lately 15 years, the main his studies related to socioeconomic and community development Mr Thanh had managed or participated a number of national and international projects on rural development (for more detail please see the attach of CV)

2.2.2.6 Selection of guest expert on aquaculture quality management and food safety management

One of the projects’ objective is to improve capacity on aquaculture quality management and food safety for shrimp aquaculture producers To achieve this, project has been cooperated with NAFIQUAVED branch 1 to implement this content The responsibility

of this partner is to provide an expert to help project organizing and training local staff and farmers on aquaculture quality and food safety management in both producing and processing products NAFIQUAVED is also responsible to check the shrimp quality products annually of projects’ areas during project life As the results, Mr Vu Van In was nominated as projects’ food safety expert Mr In has more than 10 years working experience on aquaculture quality management and food safety management In addition, Mr In organized and directly trained of many courses of this field for processors, culture producers and fisheries officers

2.1.3 Competency of projects’ staff and experts in BMP techniques and ability to train fisheries extension staff and farmers

2.1.3.1 Training materials to train extension workers and trial farms

At the start stage of project, before beginning of 2007 crop, the BMP protocol was documented by project management team and Vietnamese expert team Then, a meeting among RIA1 project staff, local fisheries officers, extension staff and 9 trial farms was organized in order to discuss and get comments from local staff to improve quality of the BMP protocol and make it corresponding with project location conditions

Base on the guidelines in the BMP protocol, the training material was developed in specific field by project expert After that, those training materials was checked, repaired and completed by project management team and the author before training extension staff and demonstration farm in project provinces though training courses As the results, the training materials prepared as following:

• Major disease of P monodon in Vietnam, prepared by Dr Le Van Khoa,

• Environment management in aquaculture, prepared by Mr Mai Van Ha and Mr Nguyen Duc Binh,

• Community base management methods in aquaculture, prepared by Mr Nguyen Xuan Suc and Mr Dinh Van Thanh,

• Semi-intensive and improved extensive shrimp aquaculture techniques, prepared by

Dr Nguyen Van Quyen, and

• Aquaculture products quality management, prepared by Mr Vu Van In (from NAFIQUAVED Branch 1)

In addition, a very important prepared material is shrimp culture diary using by demonstration farms to record all input and output data of shrimp operation activities during crops This document was prepared by project team and expert team with comments from local staff and farmers

Figure 2: Some pictures of projects’ training materials

2.1.3.2 Training methodologies

This BMP project applied the training method that “train of trainers” (ToT), it mean that the project experts trained extension staff and demonstration farms on the specific field in aquaculture and training methodologies After that, the trainees (extension staff) who attended those training courses have responsible to train shrimp farmers in the project communities

This training method is a modern and effective methodologies because trainees were provided the academic knowledge and experience from project experts Beside that, extension staff combined the academic knowledge from expert with their reality experience and then effectively transferring to shrimp farmers in the local communities

Figure 3: Some pictures of training courses for extension staff and trial farms

This BMP project also applies the “open” training method, it mean that trainees were

“centre” of training courses In each training course, the expert provided training materials (handout) and presented the main ideas of the lesson, then trainees were divided into small groups to discuss the lesson issues that provided by trainers and give questions

to trainers and among trainees

Figure 4: Some pictures of training courses (group discussion)

After discussing section, each trainee team provided a key person who present the results

of discussion in order to find out the main issues that need to be solved and problems that they interested in

Figure 5: Some pictures show team leader present the discussion results

2.2.4 Some other activities that improving project staff capacities

2.2.4.1 The short trip of project team to University of Western Australia

In November 2007, a team of 03 project staff (include Mr Nguyen Xuan Suc, Mr Dinh Van Thanh and Mr Bui Kien Cuong) did a short trip (10 days) to UWA During this trip, Vietnamese project team worked directly with Australian project team (include Dr Elizabeth Petersen and Ms Virginia Mosk) The activities that done during this trip are: i) assessment the 2007 projects’ activities and discussion for projects’ activities in 2008; ii) discussion on data processing methods and initial data processing on trial farms results

analysis; and iii) completion of details outline for “Environmental and Economic Evaluation of Better Management Practices for Shrimp Culture in Vietnam” report In

addition, this is a occasion for projects’ Vietnamese team visit and understand the training methodology and scientific research of the Agricultural and Resource Economics School under UWA

2.2.4.2 Attendant of the international workshop in aquaculture at Cantho University

From 05 to 08 December 2008, Vietnamese Fisheries Research and Education Organizations Network (ViFINET) cooperated with Gent University from Belgium Kingdom organized the international workshop that “ViFINET International Aquaculture Workshop” held in Cantho University In this workshop, the projects’ coordinator (Mr Nguyen Xuan Suc) has had a opportunity to present the report that “Environmental and Economic Evaluation of Better Management Practices for Shrimp Culture in North Center Vietnam”

Figure 6: Presentation of projects’ coordinator at ViFINET workshop

2.2.4.3 Attendant of the young scientists workshop at RIA1

On occasion of 45th years of establishment of RIA1, the young scientific researchers workshop on aquaculture was organized at RIA1 by 18 Dec 2008 Project nominated a projects’ representative (Mr Nguyen Xuan Suc, project coordinator) to present a topic that “some achievement results of BMP project in North Center Vietnam” This also is a opportunity for our project to diffuse the contents and results of project to young aquaculture scientists over whole country

2.2.4.4 Supervision of bachelor and master students

Project has partly supported financial and supervising research methodologies for two students In 2007, student Le Thi Thuy, from Hanoi Agriculture University, did her bachelor thesis that “ Assessment of current status and effective of coastal aquaculture to livelihood of farmers in Vinh Hung commune – Thua Thien Hue province”, supervised

by Dr Vu Thi Phuong Thuy (HAU) and Mr Nguyen Xuan Suc (RIA1) In 2008, student

Le Thi Thanh Thuy, master course at RIA1, doing her master thesis that “ Assessment of effectiveness and impact of BMP application in shrimp aquaculture to small-scale household in Nghe An and Thua Thien Hue provinces”, supervised by Dr Le Xan and Mr Nguyen Xuan Suc Ms Thuy’s master thesis will be approved shortly

III COMPETENCY OF PROVINCIAL EXTENSION STAFF AND ABILITY TO TRAIN SHRIMP FARMERS ON BMP

3.1 Selection of provincial officers and extension staff to implement project

After project approving, the project team at RIA1 believed that this BMP project is a community base project Therefore, cooperation between RIA1 and provincial department of fisheries is necessary to achieve the successful results at project end Project team organized 3 meeting with department of fisheries in project provinces In these meeting, the directors of fisheries department of 3 provinces agreed to nominate Center of Extension as main partner in each province implement the project Provincial Center of Extension is organization that has responsible to transfer techniques into fisheries operation in local province Additional, Provincial Centre of Extension carry out the trials, training courses in communities Therefore, selection of Extension Center

as project partner in provinces is necessary and judicious

In each province, a team, include extension staff, commune/cooperative officers, club/association and trial farms, was formed to implement the BMP project Of which, the director of Extension Center is team leader, has responsible to supervise, manage the project activities in province In each province, a extension workers who has experience and ability was selected as project field staff Commune/cooperative officers help project field staff working with shrimp communities in project commune, and supervise the application of regulations that provide by local communes to aquaculture farmers

aqua-3.1.1 The results of local staff selection to implement project and the

organization chart of project at local level

3.1.1.1 Nghe An province

1 Mr Tran Xuan Tinh, Director of Extension Center as team leader

2 Mr Pham Ngoc Hung, extension worker as project field staff

3 Mr Chu Van Ngu, head of cooperative and and Mr Dinh Van Can, head of

qua-association as project local staff

4 Three demonstration farms:

- Farm: Nguyen Van Tuan

- Farm: Cao Xuan Hoa

- Fam: Dinh Van Dung

3.1.1.2 Ha Tinh province

1 Mr Nguyen Cong Hoang, Director of Extension Center as team leader

2 Mr Luu Quang Can, extension worker as project field staff

3 Mr Truong Cong Trung, vice president of Thach Ha commune as project local staff

4 Three demonstration farms:

- Farm: Nguyen Hong Quyen

- Farm: Nguyen Ngoc Hanh

- Fam: Hoang Xuan Kien

3.1.1.3 Thua Thien Hue province

1 Ms Vo Thi Tuyet Hong, Director of Extension Center as team leader

2 Mr Pham Minh Duc, extension worker as project field staff

3 Mr Le Cong Hung, president of Vinh Hung commune and Mr Hau Van Anh, head of

Dai Thang cooperative as project local staff

4 Three demonstration farms:

- Farm: Phan Ngan

- Farm: Hau Van Anh

- Fam: Dinh Van Van

3.1.1.4 Project organization chart at local level

The project selected participants in different local level were organized as below:

Director of

CoE

Commune Cooperative (team leader)

Extension

worker Trial

farms (field staff)

Project Shrimp communities

Figure 8: Chart of projects’ organization in provinces

3.1.2 Competency of provincial extension staff

Provincial extension staff play an important role in this BMP project because they directly trained shrimp farmers in the project communities Therefore, selection of extension workers who has good experience and ability skills related to shrimp aquaculture as project field staff is necessary The project team provided a member of criterion to select extension staff as project field staff that are:

- Bachelor degree in aquaculture or related

- At least 5 years experience in aquaculture or related field

- Ability to receive BMP knowledge from BMP training courses

- Ability to transfer, train BMP knowledge and practice skill to farmers

- Ability to promote shrimp farmers in communities

- Ability to manage demonstration farms

- Ability to do fieldtrip as project requirement

- Priority local extension staff

To meet the above requirements, the results of project field staff selection at provinces is

as following:

3.1.2.2 Ha Tinh province

Project selected Mr Luu Quang Can as project field staff in Ha Tinh province Mr Can graduated from Vinh University in 1998, the his main stream is Aquaculture He had been worked for SUDA project (cooperation between MoFI and Denmark) from 1998 to

2004, then he has been working for Ha Tinh Fisheries Extension Center since 2004 Mr Can attended a number of training courses on aquaculture as well as he organized and trained many coastal aquaculture farmers Mr Can is local person, so he understand profoundly the customs, culture and people there

3.1.2.3 Thua Thien Hue province

Mr Pham Minh Duc was chosen as project field staff in Thua Thien Hue province Mr Duc graduated from Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry in 1997 His main field study is Aquaculture He has been working for Thua Thien Hue Fisheries Extension Center since 1998 He is head of Phu Loc district Extension Center Branch where project located in Thua Thien Hue Mr Duc has capacity and experience in organizing and training the shrimp aquaculture farmers Mr Duc was also born and working at Thua Thien Hue province, thus he know strongly the culture and people in Thua Thien Hue

To sum up, project selected the field staff in 3 project provinces The field staff who selected satisfy the requirements provided by project at beginning As the results, during project time life, those field staff show that they has reality ability and experience in management of demonstration farms and transferring knowledge and practice skills in shrimp aquaculture to the projects’ farmers

3.2 Some main results of training shrimp farmers implemented by extension staff

After receiving BMP knowledge though training courses run by project managers and project experts, the project extension field staff organized and trained shrimp farmers in communities In each province, project team in cooperation with project field staff had successfully organized 03 training courses on BMP for shrimp farmers The contents of these training courses are: i) methodology of pond preparation and seed selection, seed stocking; ii) methodology of pond management during shrimp culture crops; and iii) methodology of organization and cooperation of farmers in shrimp communities In addition, during crop, monthly project field staff organized the shrimp community base meeting to solve constrains and explain the difficulties that shrimp farmers requirement

The method of training for communities of shrimp farmers is “local” and field training Training courses were organized in project shrimp villages, the BMP knowledge gave to farmers in the room as well as skills practiced in the field By this way, farmers not only caught the theory on BMP but also practice BMP skills and discuss with extension staff and project staff and other shrimp households as well

The total people who attended those training courses is around 300 attendees (please see list in the attach for more details) This is the project expectation results due to implementing the BMP to widely shrimp aquaculture communities, and hope that in the future the BMP will pervasive widely to other communities that out side project locations

Figure 9: Some pictures of project activities in Nghe An province

Figure 10: Some pictures of project activities in Ha Tinh province

Figure 11: Some pictures of project activities in Thua Thien Hue province

IV COMPETENCY OF DEMONSTRATION FARMS AND

CONNECTION WITH SHRIMP COMMUNITIES IN LOCAL

4.1 The competency requirements of demonstration farms

At the start of project phase, the project team determines that selection of suitable demonstration farms is very important activity The requirement to demonstration farms

is that they are the core shrimp household in the project community Demonstration farms need to have ability to receive the BMP knowledge and practice skills as a outstanding level in order to present BMP widely into communities and they are the

“modern” for shrimp household follow Demonstration farms play role to connect other farms in village, cooperation and easy to share experience and guidance the neighbor shrimp households to approach the BMP as quick and effective Therefore, the some criterions to demonstration farms was provided as following:

• At least 5 years experience in shrimp aquaculture

• Suitable infrastructure (culture pond, processing pond, inlet, outlet, materials)

• Potential finance to implement BMP

• Voluntary to apply BMP requirements

• Ability to receive BMP knowledge and practice skills though training courses

• Easy and voluntary to help other shrimp farm in communities

In order to selection of suitable demonstration farms, project team organized meeting with Fisheries Extension Centre, Commune/cooperative to discuss this issues in each province The criterions to chose demonstration was agreed among partners, then commune/cooperative provided a list of shrimp farms that meet requirements Base on this list, project staff and local officers did a fieldtrip to village to check the listed farms

As the results, project selected 03 farms in each province who meet fully requirements as demonstration farms (please see list of demonstration farms in section 3.1.1)

4.2 Connection demonstration farms with shrimp communities

The main purpose of this project is to implement BMP into wide shrimp communities The connection of demonstration farms with other shrimp households in communities due to implement BMP into communities such the most effective Demonstration farm is

a nuclear household in the aqua-club/association, thus the BMP knowledge, skills that demonstration farms receive from project will pervasive into communities This is the best approach to transfer BMP techniques and management methods to shrimp producers Specially, in small-scale aquaculture, it is limited the finance and production practice skills, this connection become more important The results of connection between trial farms and communities in each province as follow:

4.2.3 In Thua Thien Hue province:

In Dinh Doi village has 73 shrimp households, they were divided into 3 qua-club Each

of this aqua-club was connected to a demonstration farm, namely Mr Anh, Mr Ngan and

Mr Van trial farms Those aqua-club are managed by Dai Thang aquaculture cooperative

V EFFECTIVENESS AND SUSTAINABILITY OF

AQUA-CLUBS/ASSOCIATIONS AS A MECHANISM OF EXTENSION BEYOND TARGET SMALL HOLDERS

5.1 Selection of suitable shrimp aquaculture communities to

develop sustainability at the project end

A very important step to contribute to the success of the project end is selection of suitable communities for implementing project at local areas Selected projects’ shrimp communities need to meet the requirement that its working sustainability of project results for long time after project finishing To meet this objective, the selected communities satisfies some technical requirements that as follows:

• Small scale households (less than 2 ha of shrimp pond/farm)

• Suitable shrimp areas planning

• Number of households between 20 and 30

• Semi-intensive or improved extensive culture stype

• Households in community volunteer to apply BMP

• Demand on project support of diseases, environmental monitoring and community base management

Before selecting, project managers had meeting with local officers to allocate and show criterion of communities selection and did a fieldtrip to shrimp communities in the project sites As the results, following communities have been selected to apply BMP in communities level:

• Nghe An province: selection 3 communities in 2 villages namely Hung Hoa 1 and Hung Hoa 2

• Ha Tinh province: selection 3 communities in 2 villages namely Hong Ha and Lien Ha

• Thua Thien Hue province: Selection 3 communities in Dinh Doi village, Vinh Hung commune

5.2 Shrimp aquaculture communities organization and project

promotion to local organizations

Aquaculture mechanism in different local areas in project sites is not the same However, the general point is that aquaculture activities controls by the People Committee of Commune (PCC) PCC is organization that approves the aquaculture regulation at commune level and supervises the application of Governments’ regulations in local such

as Fisheries Law

In Hung Hoa commune (Nghe An province) and Vinh Hung commune (Thua Thien Hue province), before project start, has the agriculture cooperative or the aquaculture cooperative Under cooperative is aqua-clubs or associations includes about 20 to 30 shrimp households Cooperatives supervises the implementation of crop calendar provided by Provincial Fisheries Department, monitors shrimp diseases outbreaks, receives and implements the guidance from higher authorities such as from CPP, district agriculture department and so on In addition, Cooperatives also doing the shrimp input services for example providing feed, fertilizes, anti-bio products if farmers requirements

In those province, project have helped to improve the capacity of local aquaculture units (cooperatives, aqua-clubs/association) To better effective operation of this units, project supported partly financial to organize meeting monthly or unscheduled Project improved the communes’ aquaculture regulation, specifically improving issues that related to public environment management and supervision of communities on diseases management In addition, many meeting among project staff, extension workers and local officers were organized to improve the capacities on specialist knowledge and management skills for local staff

In Thach Ha commune (Ha Tinh province), aquaculture cooperative or associations has not found, before project come there Therefore, project helped PCC formed the 3 aqua-clubs in Hong Ha and Lien Ha villages Each aqua-club occupies 20 to shrimp households, of which nominated a team leader and 2 vice team leaders to supervise the project activities in these Additional, project in cooperation with PCC drafted the local aquaculture regulation And partly financial and fully BMP knowledge were provided from project to two aqua-associations

Married status: Single

Place of birth: Thanh Hoa Province

Residential address: Dinh Bang - Tu Son - Bac Ninh, Vietnam

- Thesis title: Socio-economic Impact of Brackish-water Shrimp Culture in

the Coastal Region of North Vietnam

2003 – 2004: - Graduate Diploma in Agribusiness, Curtin University of Technology,