Towards the 65th anniversary of the Fisheries Industry's Traditional Day (April 1, 1959)

Up to now, Ham Thuan Nam has built and operated 3 fishing community associations to participate with the State in managing and protecting aquatic resources. From a few households initially registered, up to now, 288 households/814 people have been recruited, mobilizing 210.2 million VND in contributions to build a fund to maintain living conditions and organize activities to protect aquatic resources...

unanimous

Ham Thuan Nam has a coastline of about 23.5 km, running along 3 communes of Thuan Quy, Tan Thanh, Tan Thuan. Nature has endowed the district with a favorable natural environment for the growth and development of a valuable aquatic resource with high economic value, creating livelihoods and bringing significant income to many households. The whole district currently has 128 fishing boats and 514 basket boats operating in small-scale, manual fishing along the coast, with about 1,000 fishermen directly exploiting seafood. However, due to over-exploitation by fishermen, aquatic resources have been seriously depleted, making people's lives increasingly difficult.

*Co-managed sea area in Tan Thanh commune (Ham Thuan Nam).*

Since 2015, the project "Building a pilot model for co-management of razor clams to contribute to the effective management and use of aquatic resources and protection of coastal ecosystems in Thuan Quy commune, Ham Thuan Nam district" has been officially developed by the Provincial Fisheries Association and funded by the Global Environment Facility - Small Grants Program in Vietnam (UNDP/GEF SGP).

This is a very new model, applied for the first time in Binh Thuan province, in the open sea area... In 2018, UNDP/GEF SGP continued to sponsor the replication of the model in Tan Thanh and Tan Thuan communes through the project "Promoting empowerment and capacity building for communities in the management, protection, use and sustainable development of aquatic resources, contributing to the protection of coastal ecosystems in Ham Thuan Nam district". As a result, the role of people, authorities and grassroots organizations has been mobilized and promoted to participate extensively in the protection and development of aquatic resources.

Mr. Le Van Duong - Chairman of the Tan Thanh Commune Fishermen's Association shared: The association members have assigned shifts, monitored the actual situation at sea and promptly reported incidents arising in the sea area assigned to the management authority of functional forces such as the Department of Fisheries and Border Guard Station. In 2023, the association was supported by the Thien Tam Fund Project program to build 6 clusters of palm trees at the boundary locations of the managed sea area, creating a favorable environment for species to live and develop. As a result, the number of seafood species returning is more concentrated than in previous years. The association also committed to each member not violating the provisions of the law. Up to now, people have clearly changed their thinking and awareness...

*Experts, agricultural sector and local authorities visit the co-managed sea area of Ham Thuan Nam.*

Support for co-management development

According to Mr. Tran Van Lanh - Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ham Thuan Nam district, the District People's Committee has recognized and assigned the right to manage and protect aquatic resources to the Fishermen Community Associations with a sea area of 43.4 km2.

In which, the Thuan Quy Commune Fishermen's Association has released 112.4 tons of baby razor clams to restore resources. The Community Associations have released 64 artificial reef clusters to mark the sea area for co-management, preventing the activities of prohibited fishing activities, especially trawling, creating habitats and breeding grounds for aquatic resources, as a basis for implementing livelihood models for fishermen. The project has built and operated 3 Livelihood Loan Funds with a total initial capital of 440 million VND and deployed more than 150 loans to invest in agricultural, aquatic and small-scale service activities.

However, it is also necessary to recognize the current difficulties and obstacles that community organizations do not have financial mechanisms and policies to support community organizations to ensure stable operations. Decentralization is not clear, so it does not encourage fishermen to participate deeply and strongly. There are no means of patrolling and surveying at sea, mainly integrated with the production activities of members, so it is not proactive, very difficult to handle when violations occur...

Therefore, in order to continue to maintain, consolidate and develop the Fishermen Community Associations, and further promote the role of community participation in protecting and developing aquatic resources, the locality hopes that competent authorities will soon issue policies to support the development of co-management in protecting aquatic resources. Expand the activities of releasing artificial reefs to mark and prevent trawling, create habitats for resources, thereby developing various types of marine tourism. From there, continuously promote co-management in protecting aquatic resources in local waters.

Also at the recent workshop "Building models and projects for fisheries extension in the coastal area of Ham Thuan Nam under co-management to protect coastal aquatic resources", Mr. Lai Duy Phuong - Institute of Marine Research said that based on a number of appropriate criteria on scale, natural conditions... he proposed a number of suitable fisheries extension models in the coastal area of Ham Thuan Nam district under co-management in the coming time, such as the extensive cockle farming model in the sea area of Thuan Quy commune; the extensive green mussel farming model in the sea area of Hon Lan cape (Tan Thanh commune); the extensive Pacific oyster farming model.

Source