Phu Quoc invests in Freshwater Pearl Farming in Thien Cam
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Phu Quoc invests in Freshwater Pearl Farming in Thien Cam Phan Tram – Ha Van (Translation by Thuy Trang) | July 10, 2025 – 20:20
A model of freshwater pearl oyster farming in Thien Cam Commune has been launched by Mr. Ho Phi Thuy – Director of Ngoc Hien Phu Quoc Pearl Company Limited – with the aim of helping his hometown develop a new local industry.
 The aquaculture area at Dam 19/5 in Tay Long Hamlet, Thien Cam Commune, was formerly a deep, swampy area unsuitable for production. However, in August 2024, local authorities initiated a zoning plan to transform the site into a system of ponds for piloting the pearl oyster farming model.
 The entire 12-hectare aquaculture zone has been divided into seven farming ponds. Floating buoys are evenly arranged on the surface of each pond to mark the locations of the cultured oysters.
 Mr. Le Khac Thai from Dong Tien Commune (pictured on the right), who manages the model, shared: “This project was invested in by my brother-in-law, Mr. Ho Phi Thuy – known as the Pearl King of Phu Quoc. As he is currently living and working in Phu Quoc, he entrusted me with managing the model. Our goal is to establish a new aquaculture area on our hometown’s land to contribute to local economic development.”
 Initially, the freshwater pearl farming model in Thien Cam Commune includes 20,000 culture cages containing over 300,000 juvenile oysters. After nearly a year of cultivation, the oysters have grown to sizes between 7–8 cm (note: the standard size for grafting pearls is 10 cm or larger).
 To ensure optimal growth conditions for the oysters, Mr. Thai and his workers are currently busy enriching the ponds by adding nutrients (such as livestock manure or lime) to promote algae growth.
 In addition, they are cleaning the culture cages by removing algae, mud, and other debris.
 “Recently, we harvested and sent five containers of oysters measuring over 10 cm to the Ngoc Hien Pearl Center in Phu Quoc for trial grafting. In the near future, we plan to build a pearl grafting facility right at the freshwater pearl oyster farming site in Thien Cam Commune to facilitate the grafting process.” said Mr. Le Khac Thai, the project manager.
 It is known that to date, Mr. Ho Phi Thuy – Director of Ngoc Hien Phu Quoc Pearl One Member Limited Liability Company and owner of the freshwater pearl farming project in Thien Cam – has invested several billion VND into developing the model. Although the initial investment is relatively high, Mr. Thuy noted that oyster farming does not require much time or labor for maintenance. Farmers also save on feed costs since the oysters primarily consume natural plankton.
 Accounting indicates that the freshwater pearl cultivation cycle typically lasts from 2 to 3 years or longer. After harvesting the pearls, the oyster shells can be sold as raw materials for crafting mother-of-pearl inlay products, while the meat – a highly nutritious food source – can be distributed to supermarkets and food stores.
The former Cam Xuyen District area (currently encompassing seven communes: Thien Cam, Yen Hoa, Cam Trung, Cam Due, Cam Xuyen, Cam Lac, and Cam Hung) has over 700 hectares of freshwater aquaculture ponds, offering strong potential for expanding the freshwater pearl farming model. At present, the model is being piloted in Thien Cam Commune, spearheaded by Phu Quoc’s "Pearl King," Mr. Ho Phi Thuy. Thanks to his involvement, both the farming and pearl grafting techniques have been proven successful. According to initial evaluations, the oysters are growing well, with a high survival rate. In the near future, once the grafting phase begins, we will collaborate with other communes to help local residents access the necessary techniques, thereby enabling the expansion of the model depending on the specific soil and water conditions of each locality. Mr. Le Van Danh, Director of the Cam Xuyen Center for Scientific and Technical Application and Protection of Crops and Livestock. |