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| Table
for two: A quiet beach on Silkworm island offers
tranquility for tourists looking to put their feet up.
— VNA/VNS Photo Tran Son |
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Hon
Mun: Viet Nam’s marine sanctuary
by
Hoang Nam
Tourists flock to
Nha Trang for its beaches, but little do they realise that its real
magic lies beneath the waves, where you’ll find a majestic realm of
coral reefs and exotic fish.
But you’d better
get there quick because the double-headed monster of tourism and fishing
is on the loose, and is running rampant across the local submarine
ecosystem.
The coral reefs
may now be facing their biggest threat yet, with hi-tech fishing
equipment and explosives tearing many of them to shreds. Areas of coral
reef are disappearing faster than ever before.
But hope is in
sight. To try an stem this tide of destruction, the Hon Mun Marine
Protected Area (MPA) was established in June 2001.
The area covers
Nha Trang’s nine islands, including Hon Tre, Hon Mieu, Hon Tam, Hon
Mot, Hon Mun, Hon Cau, Hon Vung, Hon Rom and Hon Noc. Between them these
islands cover 160 sq.km.
Hon Mun, Hon Rom,
Hon Noc, Hon Vung and Hon Cau receive the most protection in the zone.
The Vietnamese
Government wants to protect and manage the site for current and future
generations.
"It’s
considered one of the most bio-diverse coral reef areas in all Viet Nam.
It compares well with reefs in the Indo-Pacific," said Dr. Vo Si
Tuan from the Institute of Oceanography.
Bernard
O’Callaghan, the World Conservation Union’s Chief Technical Advisor
for the Hon Mun MPA Pilot Project has made similar remarks.
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Technicolour:
Between the sea and the vivid fish, Nha Trang’s waters are a
bounty of colours that would make a crayola box blush.
|
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| Anchors
away: Small boats take groups of tourists around Nha
Trang’s numerous islands, where they can relax in the
soothing waters and sunbathe. — VNS Photos Hong Thai |
A 4-year, $2
million pilot project to develop the Hon Mun MPA site is being paid for
by the Vietnamese Government, the World Conservation Union, the World
Bank’s Global Environment Facility and the Danish International
Development Agency.
The project will
help preserve the coral reefs and promote sustainable tourism and
livelihoods for local people.
There are
currently around 5,100 people living inside the Hon Mun area.
"These are
the main people to educate, but they are also the people who will
protect the project," said Ho Van Trung Thu, the Project
Co-ordinator.
According to Thu,
ten families have been given grants, and sea weed and sea cucumber
trials are already underway. If these go well they will be extended to
other families.
In small reserves
around Hon Mun and Hon Noc islands, fishing will be prohibited so animal
life can get back on track.
Everything is
going better than in the early days of the project. Local residents are
taking an interest in what’s going on and are keen to get involved.
A monitoring team
has been set up with two people from each village taking part. This will
help villages learn how to take care of their own environment, Thu says.
According to
Bernard O’Callaghan, the project is shaping up to be a big success
after only 18 months.
One man working in
the tourist trade said, "tourists and divers will be reminded to
protect the reefs when they are diving, and boat anchors will be dropped
appropriately to avoid damage."
Divers are also
helping by collecting rubbish from the sea bed. Dung explains that
without its bio-diversity, the area would become distinctly less
attractive to tourists.
Marine protection
areas are now popular almost everywhere. There are 65 MPAs in Southeast
Asia and nearly 2,000 around the world. Hon Mun is the first in Viet
Nam. — VNS |
