Deputy Director Huynh Thi Phuong Hoa said the Department sent 15 Ly Son households to Hoi An, central Quang Nam province, to learn about the service, which gained high approval at a recent meeting on the district’s socio-economic development master plan.

Apart from that fact-finding tour, more training courses will be held for the pioneering households and even other residents who wish to take part in the business, Hoa said.

Ly Son district lies 18 nautical miles off the Vietnamese coast and covers an area of 10km2. It includes three communes: An Hai, An Vinh and An Binh.

The island district has a population of approximately 2,100. The majority of residents earn a living from fishing and farming garlics and spring onions.

Ly Son is striving to become a maritime economic centre by 2025, with a focus on tourism and aquaculture.

Archaeologists found relics of Sa Huynh culture on the island dating back to 3,000 years ago. Starting in the 16th century, a number of ethnic groups migrated to Ly Son from the mainland and have inhabited the island ever since.

The island boasts numerous forms of intangible cultural heritage, such as traditional boat races and the Hoang Sa Soldier Feast and Commemoration Festival, which was recognised as a national heritage in April, 2013.