The Ministry of Fisheries will implement 5 key tasks during the 2006-2015 period with a total budget of approximately 100 billion VND to develop marine protected areas, said Dr. Nguyen Chu Hoi, Director of the Institute of Fisheries Economics and Planning.
The 5 key tasks are: Investigating biodiversity and socio-economic issues related to the development of protected areas; improving research capabilities to effectively manage protected areas; raising awareness; enhancing the livelihoods of people inside and outside the protected areas; and establishing sustainable financial programs for managing these protected areas are prioritized in the upcoming period.
Con Dao – one of Vietnam’s 15 marine protected areas.
Vietnam’s strong commitment to developing protected areas means that by 2013, the country will have an effective national system of marine protected areas.
Among these, 15 protected areas are included in the development plan until 2015: Tran Island, Co To (Quang Ninh); Cat Ba, Bach Long Vi (Hai Phong); Hon Me (Thanh Hoa); Con Co (Quang Tri); Son Tra – Hai Van (Thua Thien Hue); Cu Lao Cham (Quang Nam); Ly Son (Quang Ngai); Hon Mun, Nam Yet (Khanh Hoa); Hon Cau, Phu Quy (Binh Thuan); Con Dao (Ba Ria – Vung Tau); and Phu Quoc (Kien Giang).
Currently, the Ministry of Fisheries is preparing to issue a directive that strictly prohibits fishing in these 15 protected areas. However, Dr. Hoi believes the effectiveness of this document needs to be considered, as Vietnam has about 1 million fishermen living along the coast, relying on marine resources.
In practice, the Ministry has designated areas where fishing is prohibited, such as Cu Lao Cham and Hon Mun (Nha Trang)… However, in Ha Long (Quang Ninh), cage farming and fishing still occur in these areas. Therefore, in addition to relocating cage farming away from the bay, it is essential to create conditions for people inside and outside the protected areas to generate income.
Dr. Nguyen Chu Hoi stated that fishing activities, aquaculture, and other socio-economic activities are negatively impacting sustainable fisheries development, leading to marine environmental degradation, depletion of resources, and loss of biodiversity and marine ecology. Among these factors, 70% is due to the impact of coastal activities such as fishing (overfishing or exploiting near-shore resources), tourism, pollution from mining, and maritime traffic…
This issue is also one of the main topics discussed at the Sustainable Fisheries Development Workshop, held from February 15-17 in Hanoi, with the participation of delegates from the USA, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, China…
The workshop is a direct response to the APEC Ministers’ declaration on fisheries and oceans, aiming to maximize economic benefits from the sustainability of fishery resources for the common benefit of all members. This is also one of the first activities in the launch month of Vietnam’s APEC Year 2006.
Ha Yen
