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Seafood industry puts VN’s coral reefs in hot water

HA NOI — Overfishing in Viet Nam’s coral reefs has made them one of the most threatened habitats in Southeast Asia, according to a new international report.

Scientists estimate that as much as 96 per cent of Viet Nam’s reefs are severely threatened by human activities, as compared to the Southeast Asian average of 88 per cent.

The main threats to the reefs are destructive fishing methods, overfishing and sedimentation and pollution from territorial sources.

"The condition of Viet Nam’s coral reefs is declining," said Lauretta Burke, a co-author of the report Reefs at Risk: Southeast Asia.

The report is the result of a unique collaboration between 35 scientists from Viet Nam, other Asian countries, the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom.

A vast database of the region’s coral reefs was compiled and published by the World Resources Institute, the UN Environment Programme’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre, the World Fish Centre and the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN).

Over 90 per cent of the coral reefs in Viet Nam, Cambodia, Singapore, the Philippines and China are threatened, the report said.

Viet Nam has an estimated 1,122sq.km of coral reefs, which are home to about 300 species.

Studies conducted between 1994 and 1997, though, concluded that only one per cent of Viet Nam’s reefs can be said to be in excellent condition.

Reefs at Risk states that overfishing is the most pervasive threat to coral reefs in Southeast Asia, and it is damaging more than 60 per cent of Viet Nam’s reefs.

"If fishing is not reduced to more sustainable levels in Southeast Asia, both coral reefs and food security will be further imperilled," said Mark Spalding, a co-author of the report and an organiser of ICRAN.

Destructive fishing practices, such as the use of poison and dynamites, threaten as much as 85 per cent of Viet Nam’s reefs.

Sediment from upland sources is also estimated to threaten 50 per cent of Viet Nam’s reefs.

The report acknowledges that Viet Nam is trying to address the problem, with two national strategic plans focused on fisheries and tourism.

The government hopes to establish models for sustainable tourism in the southern island of Con Dao, and the northern islands of Cat Ba and Ha Long Bay.

The authors recommend that Viet Nam pushes ahead with its plan to increase its protected reefs from 1,528ha to 3,118ha and improve its management to reduce overfishing. — VNS

www.ecologyasia.com

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