Protection and sustainable development of aquatic resources

Releasing juvenile fish, contributing to the regeneration of aquatic resources in the Red River basin in My Tan commune (Nam Dinh city).

Nam Dinh has 72km of coastline along with a system of four major rivers: the Red, Ninh Co, Dao and Day rivers, creating a rich and diverse river and sea ecosystem. This is a favorable condition for the province to effectively develop the fisheries sector, creating jobs and increasing income for people. According to statistics from the Department of Agriculture and Environment, in 2024, the total aquatic product output of the province will reach 202,580 tons with a value (at current prices) of about 12 trillion VND, accounting for 30.6% of the structure of the agricultural, forestry and fishery sector. However, along with the potential and development advantages are major challenges such as overexploitation, the use of destructive fishing gear, and water pollution from industrial production and daily life activities. In addition, the release of exotic aquatic species of unknown origin and ecological encroachment is also a risk that affects the balance of the natural environment... In order to strengthen the protection of aquatic resources, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has developed a Plan to implement the Action Month for the Protection of Aquaculture from March 20 to April 20, 2025 with a series of practical activities such as: Releasing millions of aquatic species into the Dao River basin, Xuan Thuy National Park area to regenerate natural populations. Coordinate with the Provincial Radio and Television Station, Nam Dinh Newspaper to propagate; print and distribute thousands of billboards, posters, leaflets to each village, hamlet, and residential community; propagate and mobilize fishermen to sign a commitment not to violate regulations on exploitation and protection of aquatic resources. Forces such as Fisheries Surveillance, Border Guard, Traffic Police... organize regular and surprise patrols in sensitive areas to prevent illegal exploitation. The Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Control coordinated with the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in the province to organize release ceremonies in accordance with regulations, not releasing invasive alien species into the natural environment.

In order to effectively protect fisheries, the Provincial People's Committee has directed departments, branches and sectors to strengthen inter-sectoral coordination and increase community connections, with special attention paid to building sustainable connections between forces. Accordingly, the Provincial People's Committee requested the Provincial Border Guard to focus on managing fishing activities in the sea, detecting and preventing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing). The Provincial Police organized inspections and handled violations of the environment and fisheries in inland areas. Party committees and local authorities paid attention to coordinating the implementation of communication programs, disseminating legal knowledge and guiding the community to properly implement regulations in aquaculture and fishing according to the provisions of the Law on Fisheries. The Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of the province acted as a communication bridge between the government and Buddhists, encouraging the practice of spiritual beliefs along with the responsibility of protecting the environment.

Comrade Hoang Manh Ha, Head of the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Control, said: One of the major goals of the Action Month for the Protection of Agri-Fisheries is to direct the community to awareness and action towards sustainable aquaculture development. That is controlled exploitation, reasonable farming, protection of natural habitats and minimizing negative impacts from humans. Therefore, the province encourages localities to replicate the model of responsible fishing; people use environmentally friendly fishing gear and apply science and technology to aquaculture. At the same time, efforts are made to build and develop sustainable livelihood models such as combined farming with ecology - tourism, especially in some coastal localities.

Despite many positive results, the protection of aquatic resources in the province still faces many difficulties such as: lack of investment funds, limited human resources in inspection and supervision, and violations still exist in some localities. In particular, people's awareness in protecting and developing aquatic resources is not really uniform, leading to poor compliance with regulations. To continue to improve the effectiveness of the protection and development of aquatic resources in the coming time, the province needs to increase investment in fisheries control forces and modern monitoring equipment. Organize training and professional training on aquatic environment protection for grassroots officials. Incorporate the protection of aquatic resources into school education programs and community communication in a systematic manner. Have mechanisms and policies to call for and attract businesses to invest in environmentally friendly aquaculture projects, accompanying the government in protecting natural resources.

Article and photos: Van Dai

Source: https://baonamdinh.vn/kinh-te/202504/bao-ve-va-phat-trien-ben-vung-nguon-loi-thuy-san-5417485/