Management of Coastal Fisheries in Vietnam Dao Manh Son and Pham Thuoc Research Institute of Marine Fisheries 170 Le Lai, Haiphong Vietnam
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Research Papers in Economics Management of Coastal Fisheries in Vietnam Dao Manh Son and Pham Thuoc Research Institute of Marine Fisheries 170 Le Lai, Haiphong Vietnam. Son, D.M. and P. Thuoc 2003. Management of Coastal Fisheries in Vietnam, p. 957 - 986. In G. Silvestre, L. Garces, I. Stobutzki, M. Ahmed, R.A. Valmonte-Santos, C. Luna, L. Lachica-Aliño, P. Munro, V. Christensen and D. Pauly (eds.) Assessment, Management and Future Directions for Coastal Fisheries in Asian Countries. WorldFish Center Conference Proceedings 67, 1 120 p. Abstract The fisheries sector of Vietnam plays an important role in the social and economic development of the country. The sector contributes about 3% of the GDP and fish contributes about 40% of animal protein consumption in the country. In 1999, total fisheries production amounted to 1.8 million t. Of this, 1.2 million t was de- rived from marine capture fisheries and 0.6 million t from aquaculture. Fish exports were valued at US$971.12 million in the same year. Vietnam’s marine fisheries and coastal aquaculture have further potential for development. However, overfishing in coastal areas, degradation of the marine environment and conflicts between small-scale and large scale fishers must be resolved to realize the sector’s potential. This report presents the status of coastal fisheries resources, reviews government fisheries policies and suggested management measures. Based on the recommen- dations from a multisectoral consultative workshop conducted among the key ex- perts on fisheries and resource management in Vietnam, the following fisheries management objectives were suggested for sustainable development of coastal fisheries in Vietnam: (1) optimization of productivity and efficiency of the fisheries exploitation regime; (2) ensuring that the benefits of production are distributed equitably; (3) ensuring that the productivity generated results in minimum damage to the resource base and the supporting natural environment; and (4) upgrading and strengthening the related institutions. Indicative action programs for improved management are also presented. Introduction 510 t from aquaculture. In the same year, fish ex- ports amounted to US$971.12 million (MOFI 1999). Vietnam, a peninsular country in Southeast Asia, has a coastline 3 260 km long and the Exclusive In the past decade, the fisheries sector has achieved Economic Zone covers more than one million km2. considerable growth. However, the sector suffers The fisheries sector plays an important role in the from many problems that need to be resolved to social and economic development of Vietnam. The ensure sustainable development. Such problems sector is estimated to contribute 3% to the Vietnam- include overfishing in the coastal area, degradation ese GDP, and fish provides about 40% of the animal of the marine environment and coastal resources, protein consumption. In 1999,total fisheries pro- underdeveloped infrastructure, and lack of effec- duction was estimated at 1 827 310 t, of which 1 212 tive resource management. This report summarizes 800 t came from marine capture fisheries and 614 information on Vietnam’s coastal fisheries, including 957 environmental and socioeconomic status, institu- management and attaining sustainable develop- tional-legal framework, and fisheries management ment of coastal fisheries in Vietnam. The action issues and opportunities. The report presents in- programs recommended in this paper are based on dicative action programs for improving fisheries a national consultative workshop conducted under 24 CHINA 22 H A N O I 30m HAI PHONG 50m 20 LAOS HAINAN 100m 200m VIEN CHAN VINH 1 18 S O U T H THAILAND 50m CHINA SEA 16 NOTE DA NANG 30m : ISOBATH VIETNAM LATIITUDE ºN 1 : TONKIN GULF 2 14 2 : CENTRAL AREA QUI 3 : SOUTHEAST AREA NHON 4 : SOUTHWEST AREA 12 NHA TRANG 50m CAMBODIA HO CHI MINH CITY 30m NAOH GAI 30m 10 CA MAU 3 4 8 50m 6 100m 200m 102 104 106 108 110 112 114 LONGITUDE ºE Fig. 1. The Exclusive Economic Zone of Vietnam. 958 WorldFish Center 959 the project “Sustainable Management of Coastal south in winter and reverse direction in summer. Fish Stocks in Asia” on 28 - 30 August 2001 at Water temperature and salinity vary according to the Research Institute of Marine Fisheries (RIMF), season and location. Average sea surface tempera- Haiphong, Vietnam. The workshop was attended tures usually range from 21 to 26º C. These are by representatives from various disciplines and generally high in the south and low in the north, from different national institutions and agencies in especially in January-February, when air tempera- Vietnam. tures in the north drop to 15 - 16º C. In August, when temperatures are highest, sea surface tem- peratures range from 28 - 29º C (Thuoc and Long Coastal Environment Setting 1997). Physico-chemical Characteristics Industrial, maritime transportation and oil exploi- Vietnam is under the influence of the tropical mon- tation activities have not been developed in Viet- soon regime. There is considerable difference in nam. Thus, pollution is not yet considered a seri- climate and environment between the northern ous matter, and harmful elements in the marine and southern parts. In the northern part of Viet- environment are thought to be negligible. However, nam, the climate can be considered sub-tropical some coastal areas are starting to be polluted by with two seasons. Winter is from November to industrial, agricultural and human wastes coming March and is characterized by mild temperatures of from the lower rivers. A large proportion of the about 16ºC and relatively low rainfall. Summer waste is not treated properly and sometimes con- (from May to September) is usually very hot with tains poisonous chemicals, heavy metals, organic temperatures from 27 to 38º C, and humid with matter and agricultural chemicals. Localized pollu- frequent typhoons or tropical storms (average rain- tion is often from trans-boundary pollution caused fall at 1 730 mm·year-1). A more tropical climate is by the monsoon and currents bringing polluted prevalent in southern Vietnam. This region has a products from countries around the Pacific Ocean. dry season between October and March and a wet In some areas such as Ha Long, Hai Phong and season from April to September with high precipi- Vung Tau, oil concentrations in the sea have ex- tation (about 2 000 mm·year-1 in Ho Chi Minh ceeded the threshold for tourism (0.3 mg·l-1). In City). general, however, the seas of Vietnam are relatively clean compared with other countries in the region. The continental shelf, where coastal fisheries oper- ate, is wide and shallow in the north and south, and narrow with a steep slope in the central region. The Critical Coastal Habitats coastal marine environment is divided into four regions based on their hydrological regimes, namely, Wetland ecosystems include large estuarine and the Gulf of Tonkin, central region, southeast and delta systems with extensive mangrove swamps southwest region (see Fig. 1). The Gulf of Tonkin and tidal mudflats, seasonally inundated inland spans an area of 140 000 km2 and is shared by Viet- marshes and coastal sand dune areas with brac- nam and China. The Gulf is relatively shallow, kish water saline lagoons. The two largest wetland mostly less than 50 m depth and has a relatively flat ecosystems are found in the Mekong Delta in the bottom with muddy to sandy substrate. In the cen- south and in the Red river in the north. The deltas tral region, the depths drop steeply to 200 - 500 m are heavily populated and are intensively used for within 30 to 50 km off the coast, with a maximum agricultural production. depth of about 5 000 m. A number of estuaries line the southeast subregion, including the Mekong riv- Sedimentation in some coastal aquaculture ponds er system, which discharges large volumes of fresh- is a problem in the Red river and Mekong Deltas. water and sediments. The southwest subregion Both deltas carry heavy silt loads. Sedimentation is (Gulf of Thailand) extends from the border be- often linked to soil erosion in the watershed, which tween Vietnam and Cambodia to 6º 00’ N latitude is influenced by the extent of forest cover. Results and from 105º 00’ E to 103º 00’ E longitude. This from the Mekong water quality monitoring project fishing region is shallow (mostly less than 50 m suggest that suspended solids have increased since deep), and suitable for bottom trawling. 1988; this is possibly related to increased upstream soil erosion caused by deforestation and changing In general, surface currents in Vietnam, which are land management practices (Mekong Secretariat induced by the monsoon winds, flow from north to 1992). Acid-sulphate soils are particularly common 958 WorldFish Center 959 in the Mekong Delta and some parts of the Red Coral reefs in Vietnam are common in coastal areas river delta. from north to south and islands inshore or offshore. There are approximately 300 coral species belong- Mangrove forests in Vietnam have declined rapidly ing to 67 genera (Yet et al. 1994; Tuan and Yet in recent years. In the 1950s, mangroves covered 1995). Of these, 165 species occur in Tonkin Gulf, around 4 000 km2 along the coastal areas (Hong 171 species in central and southeast waters, 134 1993). The area had decreased to 2 520 km2 by species in southwest waters and 180 species in 1983 and further decreased to 1 570 km2 by 1994. Paracels and Spratly areas. Coral reefs contain re- Of the remaining mangrove forests, 60% are con- sources of economic value such as seaweeds, lob- centrated in the coastal zone of South Vietnam, sters, holothurians and coral fishes (Tuan and Yet which is part of the Mekong Delta.