Strings of barnacles - the prosperous field of "wind bell" in Quang Yen

Local people in Hoang Tan commune  in Quang Yen town used to harvest barnacles living on magrove roots, however, the model of rasing barnacles by tying strings around them has developed since 2011.

This new model enables farmers to obtain higher productivity (about 20-30 tons per hectare per year).

So far, there have been nearly 800 farming households raising this kind of seafood on the total area of 700 hectares, significantly contributing to the increase in locals’ income; therefore, these farms are called aflluent fields of “wind bell”.

Unlike the conventional way focusing on the development of barnacles on mangrove roots which often became deteriorated after a specific amount of time, this new model enables farmers to obtain higher productivity (about 20-30 tons per hectare per year) due to barnacles’ faster growth processes and the high survival rate of 80-95%. Many fishermen in this area have become billionaires thanks to this new aquaculture mode.

“In 2012, some residents invested in the model of raising barnacles by typing strings aroud, my family also decided to establish a few rafts, and then we gradually expanded our business because of  the high economic efficiency it has brought. Currently, we have possessed 50 rafts of rasing strings of barnacles with 800-1,000 strings each. The initial investment cost for these 50 rafts is about VND 30 million VND; we can earn VND150-200 million per day under good weather conditions”, Mr. Vu Van Khang, an experienced barnacle-rasing farmer in Hamlet No. 5 in Hoang Tan commune said.

There are roughly 1,000 farming households doing this business with the total yields of over 20,000 tons per year. The productivity of Hoang Tan establishments accounts for 95% of the total output in the town. One kilogram of intestines extracted from 10 kilograms of shells is priced at VND 80,000- 100,000.Barnacles in Hoang Tan are harvested from the third to eleventh month of a lunar year, or from April to December. These creatures often grow fast when it switches from summer to autumn.

Barnacle porridge is famous for its good taste and alluring savour.

The intestine can be processed into a variety of dishes such as salad, sauce, hot pot, fried with eggs or deep fried. The most popular is rieu (soup) and cháo (porridge). All dishes processed from Hoang Tan barnacles are famous for natural taste and alluring savour. This type of seafood is consumed at a lot of restaurants and hotels in Quang Yen town and adjacent localities, and can also be purchased at traditional markets in Quang Yen town.

Translated by Phuong Loan