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| Home | Feb 16, 2002 |
vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn |
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Hon Mun
reserve balances locals’ incomes against ecological future
KHANH HOA — A US$2.1 million marine reserve project is underway in the central province of Khanh Hoa, creating a safe haven for aquatic creatures to thrive. The Hon Mun Sea Park will cover 12,100ha of sea and includes several islands in the city of Nha Trang’s Vinh Nguyen Ward. It is a joint project of the Fisheries Ministry, the local People’s Committee and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. "The marine reserve is like a national park. It’s a place where sea creatures can give birth and raise their young in safety," said Hon Mun Sea Park director Truong Vinh. Over the last few years, the local marine environment has been seriously threatened by human activity. Around 5,100 people now live on the islands, making their money from fishing and tourism. Some also pick coral to make souvenirs for tourists. The area now has 173 coral species and 176 fish species, with the human harvesting effort focused largely on 50 species of mollusc, 34 crustacean breeds and seven kinds of seaweed. The marine reserve’s strict environmental regulations will initially take a chunk out of the locals’ incomes. Nguyen Van Tien, deputy chairman of Vinh Nguyen ward, said the project managers have been working with local residents to raise awareness of the long-term environmental damage their actions are causing. Tri Nguyen area on Mieu Island, nearby the central island of Mun, now has the highest population: 515 households with 3,022 people. The locals there have built a lake for breeding marine creatures, which has become a tourist attraction for visitors to Nha Trang. The creatures on show include lobster, grouper and crab. "Tourists wouldn’t visit areas where the environment has been degraded, as their wouldn’t be much wildlife to see," said the project’s chief consultant, Australian Bernard O’Callaghan. "Hon Mun obviously has great potential: When it’s finished, it’ll be a management model for marine reserves in Viet Nam. Residents will want to enrich the local waters, and the environmental protection efforts will be rewarded with an increase in tourism." — VNS
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