Con Son Piscis is a project created by 3 students named Truong Quang Huy, Do Phu Minh (from BVIS Hanoi - British Vietnamese International School Hanoi) and Tran Viet Khoi (from AIS - Australian International School in Ho Chi Minh City) with the support from Faculty of Fisheries, Can Tho University, the design team of LH's Design Company, Hanoi University of Fine Arts Industry.

Concerning the project idea, Do Phu Minh said: “Son islet is a famous tourist destination in Can Tho, with outstanding fishing activities attracting tourists. Our team wants to contribute to promoting tourism development here through the Con Son Piscis project, which is formed on the basis of culture and conservation. This place not only provides a database of typical fish species of the Hau River but through which we also want to call for a joint effort to protect the fish species on the Hau River and protect the natural environment”.

Con Son Piscis started in April 2022. The project was carried out for 8 months and officially inaugurated in December. To have funds, three students studied and worked part-time. Their income came from tutoring (100 hours of teaching), selling fish (400kg of fish) - and also supporting the people of Son Islet in the phase of tourism recovery.

Con Son Piscis provides information (both in Vietnamese and English) about 27 typical fish species of the Hau River. In particular, 15 of which are displayed as 3D models. Truong Quang Huy, one of the creators of the project, said: “It is not simple to select which fish species we want to introduce because there are many fish species in the Hau River. We decided to consult with teachers of Can Tho University and selected typical fish species on three criteria namely rarity, high conservation demand, and great economic value. The exhibition space here is decorated very vividly with familiar materials in the cultural life of the people in the Southwest region.

Mr. Ly Van Bon, owner of Bay Bon fish raft, said: “You can call Con Son Piscis a museum or a freshwater fish library because it accompanies us, farmers. Projects like these are usually only available at institutions or schools, but now you can directly admire the fish from 3D images and the real fish living in the water. These youngsters worked very hard to learn about typical fish species of the Hau River and sketch them into lifelike images. This is a great project because it both creates a tourist highlight and helps visitors better understand the fish species of the Hau River, thereby raising awareness of natural fish conservation”.

The project is even more meaningful when it is placed at Bay Bon fish raft, which has been operating for more than 20 years. This place preserves many typical and rare fishes of the Hau and Mekong rivers. This place is also a research and experiment site for many domestic and international researchers and students of Fisheries. Therefore, the formation of Con Son Piscis is very significant in raising the community's awareness of preserving and conserving freshwater fish of Hau River.