Nha Trang Bay has been named one of the 29 most beautiful bays in the world, featuring clear water, clean coastline and vivid scenery. Therefore, conserving and promoting the value of Nha Trang Bay is a pressing and permanent job.
From 2001 to 2005, the Ministry of Fisheries, the Khanh Hoa Provincial People’s Committee and the World Conservation Union (IUCN) piloted the Hon Mun Islet Maritime Conservation Zone (now renamed to Nha Trang Bay Maritime Conservation Zone) with the support from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) via the World Bank (WB), Danish International Development Agency (Danida) and the Vietnamese Government.
This is the first maritime conservation zone in Vietnam, covering some 13,000 ha with invaluable ecosystems like coral reefs, seaweed carpets and mangrove forests. In particular, the coral is more diversified than any place in Vietnam.
Some 350 species of hard coral have been found in Nha Trang Bay, including 100 species new to the world and some 40 species new to Vietnam. The zone has set up an overall survey system to define locations of coral reefs, seaweed and mangrove forests in order to have measures to tighten protections.
The management unit has established a buoy installing group to erect and maintain buoy systems inside the zone, instating 50 mooing buoys around Hon Mun Islet in order to help tourist ships avoid anchoring too near coral reefs and collecting starfishes to protect coral.
A lot of information programmes have been carried out with assistance from films, pictures, newspapers, websites and exhibitions.
To convince locals not to overexploit maritime resources, the project introduced new production methods harmless to the maritime environment, such as aquaculture, handicraft and eco-tourism.
Mr Truong Kinh, Director of the Nha Trang Bay Maritime Conservation Zone, said: To preserve and promote the value of Nha Trang Bay, a master plan for the effective and reasonable operation of the bay is essential. This plan requires various fields and economic sectors like tourism, fishery and shipping. This is also a foundation for a better zone management.
Thuy Tien
Vietnamese
