Feeding the Ocean - Tuoi Tre Online

Children participate in a Feed the Ocean lobster release session - Photo: Sasa Team

The project was initiated by oceanographer Le Chien - founder of Sasa Marine Rescue Center (Sasa Team) in Da Nang - and chose Phu Quoc (Kien Giang) as the starting point of the project with the strong support of many members living here.

The project aims to change the awareness of young fishermen and children not only in Phu Quoc but also in schools so that future generations will know how to protect ocean life and exploit it consciously.

Mr. MINH VO

Changing the way we think about the ocean

On the trip to release 200 crabs carrying eggs into the sea of ​​Phu Quoc, the divers gently placed the basket with the crabs inside. The mother crab quickly crawled out, buried herself in the sand to hide, and the fish immediately swarmed to pick up the crab eggs that had fallen out. This is how the members of Feed the Ocean "feed" the ocean.

Mr. Minh Vo - a project member currently living in Phu Quoc - said that many scientific reports as well as field surveys show that Phu Quoc has seriously reduced coastal fisheries resources. Feed the Ocean will release native species that are holding eggs or females in the breeding season into the sea to contribute to the recovery of the number of overexploited species in the locality.

The species that will be re-released by the project include octopus, mantis shrimp, sharks, stingrays, seahorses, eels, groupers, sea dragons, giant clams, etc. They buy the fry at seafood farms in Phu Quoc or transport the fry that has been incubated from the nursery in Son Tra peninsula (Da Nang) of Sasa Team and then release them into the sea. "The campaign will be carried out for five years. After about two months, Feed the ocean has released nearly 200,000 fry into the sea of ​​Phu Quoc" - said Mr. Minh Vo.

To many, this may seem like a drop in the ocean, even a little crazy. However, the members say that at least they are trying to act so that not only their children but also the current generation can have the opportunity to get closer to and understand more about nature, especially the ocean.

Love with "pearl island"

Most of the Feed the Ocean project members come from Sasa Team, in which the core member is currently living on the pearl island of Phu Quoc. Mr. Minh Vo is originally a true urban man, but "because he loves Phu Quoc, he came" and chose to settle down by the sea.

Having studied abroad in France, returned and spent many years building a business in Ho Chi Minh City until everything was more stable, had his first child, the whole family of Minh Vo decided to move to Phu Quoc three years ago. Loving the sea, being a scuba diver, Minh Vo said he loves Phu Quoc very much because here there are mountains, forests, and beautiful seas.

The couple currently has a 6-year-old child, and a second child is on the way. They want their children to be close to the sea and the beautiful nature of Phu Quoc because this is very good for children. Like other members participating in the project, Minh Vo wants to contribute his efforts, even if it is limited, to try to preserve what Phu Quoc has for the future.

Having been passionate about diving since he was studying in France, he still maintains that habit regularly when he moved to Phu Quoc. Every time he releases creatures back into the sea, Minh Vo directly joins the diving team to bring them to suitable habitats under the ocean.

"Led by ocean scientist Le Chien, we carry out the project scientifically to maximize its effectiveness. We also have fundraising campaigns, calling on the community to contribute to buying the fish as a way to spread the word so that more people know and join the project," Minh Vo shared.

To understand and love the sea more

The fishing habit is still mostly using trawlers and electric shock. Fishermen sweep from big to small fish, making the number of species unable to recover. The project estimates that if fishing continues to be rampant like this, no matter how much is released, it will not be enough.

Each trip, they record and share it on the Sasa Team Marine Animals Rescue fanpage. Some trips also have volunteers who are young people and students. Before releasing crabs and fish into the sea, the children are told about the life of marine creatures as a way to understand and love the sea more.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cho-dai-duong-an-20240305100533211.htm