Thai Binh province said that inconsistent data led to "misunderstanding" of the area of Tien Hai Nature Reserve being converted into an economic zone.
On the afternoon of September 7, answering VnExpress , Mr. Lai Van Hoan, Vice Chairman of Thai Binh Provincial People's Committee, said that the province will coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to re-determine the area of Tien Hai Wetland Nature Reserve in the field. Previously, the ministry had sent a document requesting the province to clarify the legal basis for converting 90% of the reserve area into an economic zone (from 12,500 hectares to more than 1,320 hectares).
Mr. Hoan explained that it is necessary to review and measure the field to clarify the scale and area of the conservation area because there are currently many inconsistent data sources, leading to some opinions "misunderstanding". He cited the Prime Minister's decisions in January and October 2014 on the Biodiversity Conservation Plan and the Forest System Plan with two figures for the conservation area of 12,500 hectares and 3,245 hectares.
Mr. Lai Van Hoan answered VnExpress on the afternoon of September 7. Photo: Ngoc Thanh
"In 2014, the province also determined the area of mangrove forest to be 12,500 hectares. However, the scope, boundaries, and scale of the conservation area are only qualitative and have not been determined by scientific measurements. Therefore, there have been errors in the coordinates on the ground," said Mr. Hoan, adding that after the field results are available, the agencies will prepare a dossier to establish the Tien Hai Wetland Nature Reserve in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Biodiversity.
Regarding the previous opinion of the Department of Nature Conservation and Diversity that the province made an "illegal" decision, Mr. Hoan explained that Decision 731 issued by the province in April 2023 to reduce the area of the conservation area from 12,500 hectares to 1,320 hectares was actually the province's specific determination of the area of special-use forests that need to be strictly protected on the basis of the Law on Forest Protection and Development.
According to the Vice Chairman of Thai Binh province, Decision 731 does not replace the previous Decision 2159/2014 (approving the mangrove forest area of 12,500 hectares under the name Tien Hai Wetland Nature Reserve) and "is not the elimination of the reserve".
Mangrove forest at Tien Hai Wetland Nature Reserve, September 7. Photo: Ngoc Thanh
In April, Thai Binh province issued Decision 731 defining the boundaries of Tien Hai Nature Reserve, in which the converted area of more than 11,050 hectares is expected to be built into an urban, tourism, resort, and golf course area of Con Vanh - Con Thu.
This is a component of the General Economic Zone Planning of Thai Binh province, covering an area of more than 30,500 hectares, including functional areas, industrial parks, industrial clusters with an area of more than 8,000 hectares, a seaport area of 500 hectares, a power center of more than 850 hectares, and agricultural and forestry areas of more than 4,700 hectares.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Thai Binh, Tien Hai Wetland Nature Reserve is actually just a special-use forest, established by the province under the Law on Forest Protection and Development, so it is not bound by the Law on Biodiversity. The change of area is within the authority of Thai Binh province and does not require the opinion of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
However, the Department of Nature Conservation and Biodiversity (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) and the Department of Forestry (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) said that the province's decision had not been agreed upon by relevant ministries and branches, and that the application of the Law on Forest Protection and Development was not in accordance with regulations.
Housekeeping - Pham Chieu
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