Aquatic resources of brackish water lagoons all over Binh Dinh Province are becoming exhausted because of practices of overexploitation for the past years. In order to conserve and improve the aquatic resources, Binh Dinh Province Aquaculture Association launched a model of community-based self-management and sustainable exploitation of the aquatic resources at the two lagoons of Thi Nai and Tra O.
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Mangrove forest becomes verdant now at Thi Nai Lagoon. Photo: Hoang Song
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The two lagoons have plenty of valuable aquatic specialties. Previous surveys and researches report that Tra O (Chau Truc) Lagoon has 30 species of fresh water fish like carps, catfish, anabas (climbing perches) and variety of brackish water fish such as mullets, pomfrets and rabbitfishes.
Particularly, Tra O Lagoon is famous for its specialties-anguilla bicolor pacifica and anguilla marmorata. Thi Nai Lagoon is rich of fresh and brackish water species of fish, shrimp, marine crabs, shellfish, and oysters.
The abundance of the aquatic resources has brought economic profits to local residents living along the lagoons for a long time. Yet, it is becoming exhausted in recent years because illegal practices of prohibited exploitation.
In such circumstance, in 2009, the Provincial Aquaculture Association launched a model of community-based self-management and sustainable exploitation of the aquatic resources from the two lagoons.
Over one year of the model operation, the association and the provincial agricultural agencies organized workshops, training courses and communication meetings for the local residents on the preservation and sustainable exploitation of the aquatic resources.
The local communities at the area of Thi Nai Lagoon are trained on mangrove planting, mangrove arboretum establishment and sustainable aquaculture development, etc. The local residents at the area of Tra O Lagoon are trained on methods of anguilla and marble goby (oxyeleotris marmorata) raising.
Every year, with help and contribution of local fishermen and businesses, the provincial agricultural agencies releases breeding fish into the water of Tra O Lagoon with aim to restore the aquatic resources there. Tuy Phuoc district People’s Committee has already approved draft of the model of Thi Nai Lagoon aquatic resource management. Accordingly, core groups in charge of protecting the lagoon’s aquatic resources will be set up.
“After one year of operation, the model of community-based self-management and reasonable exploitation of the aquatic resources at the two lagoons of Thi Nai and Tra O has early fruitful results. Awareness of the local residents has been enhanced. Once they realize thoroughly about it and protect their interests, the aquatic resources of the lagoon will gradually be recovered,” said Ms. Mai Kim Thi, Deputy Head of the Binh Dinh Province Service of Aquatic Resource Exploitation and Protection.
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