The torrential rains caused widespread flooding across provinces like Khanh Hoa, Gia Lai, and Dak Lak, resulting in major damage to both lives and property.

In Song Cau ward - the epicenter of lobster farming in Vietnam - nearly all farmed lobsters in floating cages perished.

Speaking to VietNamNet, Doan Van Quang, Director of Song Cau Lobster Cooperative, confirmed a staggering 99% mortality rate among the cooperative’s lobster stock. Each member household has suffered average losses of around 3 billion VND (approx. 120,000 USD), while Mr. Quang’s family alone lost about 4 billion VND (approx. 160,000 USD) in investment.

“This is the worst lobster die-off we’ve ever seen. Even the elders here have never witnessed such high flood levels. We had planned to harvest these lobsters before Tet, but now we’ve lost everything,” Mr. Quang shared in despair.

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Lobsters died from freshwater exposure in Song Cau, Dak Lak. Photo: Provided by source.

Mr. Quang added that once exposed to freshwater, lobsters cannot be saved. The cooperative is now working to remove the dead lobsters and clean the farming cages to prevent environmental contamination.

While the market price of live lobster typically hovers around 1.1 million VND/kg (approx. 44 USD/kg), waterlogged lobsters now sell for just 40,000–70,000 VND/kg (1.6–2.8 USD/kg), with larger ones fetching only 150,000–180,000 VND/kg (6–7.2 USD/kg) - barely one-tenth of their normal value.

“Chinese buyers have already canceled their contracts after hearing about the incident,” Mr. Quang noted.

Rebuilding proves difficult without capital

The cooperative is struggling to recover due to lack of capital. Even if members were to take out loans for re-investment, many lack the ability to repay interest. Moreover, restarting farming will require at least 10–11 months before new lobsters can be harvested.

Mr. Quang has called on local authorities to offer relief measures such as loan interest deferrals. Direct financial support, based on each household’s level of loss, would also be essential in helping farmers rebuild their aquaculture zones.

Vo Ngoc Thach, Chairman of Song Cau People’s Committee, confirmed that the lobster farming sector suffered catastrophic losses after the recent floods.

As of 5:00 p.m. on November 23, reports showed that 95% of floating aquaculture cages in Song Cau were damaged - equivalent to 77,740 cages and more than 20.7 million lobsters lost. The total estimated damage is 2.44 trillion VND (approx. 97.6 million USD).

Local officials are appealing to the central and provincial governments for timely relief, including debt deferral, forgiveness, and new loans to support aquaculture revival - particularly for farmers already in debt due to prior investments.

Tran Chung