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Government mulls marine area policies

Cu Lao Cham in the central province of Quang Nam has been named the country’s second marine protected area under an agreement signed between the Vietnamese and Danish governments which traced out three environmental projects in the zone.

The Danish Government announced last year it will provide a total US$4.7 million for the projects, half of which is earmarked for the creation of a national marine protected area (MPA) system.

Supporting the country’s MPAs at both national and provincial levels involves maintaining and managing marine life as well as coastal environments.

At the national level, the responsibility falls under the Ministry of Fisheries, while authorities like the Quang Nam People’s Committee will take care of provincial developments.

Through the projects, the Vietnamese Government will be laying out policies and a legal framework to ensure the good functioning of the national MPA system. An administrative framework will also be established to manage marine areas.

Cu Lao Cham, the second MPA after Hon Mun in Khanh Hoa Province, is located about 18km east of Hoi An town and covers 7,000ha. Depth lies on average between 10 and 20m, but reaches 40m in some parts.

According to current estimates, the coral reef eco-system counts 134 species of coral, 122 seaweed, 84 molluscs, 12 echinoderms and 187 kinds of fish.

Human damage to the highly diverse eco-system is minimal. Some 265 known species of plants and varieties of animals currently live on the island. — VNS