VietNamNet
Bridge – The Lap An lagoon in the
central province of Thua Thien-Hue was once famous for its plentiful marine
resources and diversified ecosystem, thanks partly to a large area of mangrove
forests that surrounded and protected it.
However,
this precious resource, already depleted by aquaculture and an asphalt road, is
in danger of being destroyed completely to make way for a golf course.
An
asphalt road running around 800ha of Lap An lagoon has been built in recent
years where mangrove forests once stood. The forests had been destroyed earlier
for aquaculture by local residents.
The end
result is that the lagoon has lost the protective function served by mangrove
forests.
"Around
20 years ago, the mangrove forest stretched from the gate of my house for a
hundred metres towards the lagoon. But to get roads and electricity, the forest
is gone. It's the price (we have paid) for development," Luong Diem, a
resident of Lang Co town told Viet Nam News.
Now, it
has become difficult for him to catch crabs, fish and other seafood.
"In
the past, I could get a full bucket of crabs after walking for an hour, but I
cannot do that even after a whole day now," he said.
Around
95 per cent of mangrove forests in the lagoon have been destroyed for
aquaculture and the remaining five per cent (around five hectares) will be
sacrificed for a golf course.
"If
the golf course is built and forest is gone, aquaculture can no longer
survive," said Truong Van Tuyen, director of the provincial Fisheries
Association's Community Development Centre.
Mangrove
forests provide ideal habitat for most seafood creatures to reproduce and grow.
Now, these seafood resources have seriously declined because the forests have
disappeared and the lagoon is polluted by untreated wastewater from Lang Co
town.
To
improve the situation, the Lang Co Fisheries Association was established early
last month with the aim of protecting the environment for seafood and providing
a stable livelihood for the fishing community of around 600 people.
"The
mangroves are gone and has taken with it several kinds of seafood including the
oyster," said Mai Truc Lam, chairman of the association.
Some
fishermen have belatedly realised the importance of mangroves and are
replanting the trees themselves in the hope of returning to the old days of
plentiful seafood.
They
are not alone in their work. The Mangroves for the Future (MFF) programme,
which aims to protect coastal ecosystems, has donated VND480 million
(US$23,000) to protect and replant mangroves in the lagoon.
"The
most important work in the project is to increase awareness about mangrove
forests among all residents here," said Tuyen.
Tuyen
is right, because many of the residents still hold on to the belief that the
golf course will make them rich, creating more jobs and increasing the market
for seafood.
"Mangroves
are important but development is much more vital. The golf course can change
our lives," said Nguyen Van Tay, who owns a large aquaculture farm.
He
believed that aquaculture farmers only need to "sacrifice" for the
first two years of the project, waiting for investors to complete a wastewater
treatment system for the golf course, after that, aquaculture production would
soar and enter a golden period thanks to increased demand from tourists.
Tay was
not aware that each day, a golf course would need several thousand tonnes of
water and dump three to four tonnes of chemicals to maintain its lawns every
year, polluting the soil as well as ground water resources.
"The
answer here is to seek the best solution to develop the golf course but promote
mangroves for environmental protection at the same time. This is a common issue
for every project in Viet Nam," said Nguyen Chu Hoi, head of the governing
body of MFF Viet Nam.
"Finding
a win-win solution is a target for our project and it will be a good experience
for subsequent projects," he said.
Hoi
also said that a law to protect mangroves was necessary because the forests
could not be restored after being destroyed.
"The
law should limit the current uncontrolled deforestation of mangroves," he
said.
Before
the law is passed and takes effect, Luong Diem has a new job: to take care of
2,000 mangrove seedlings in order to restore the forest as part of an MMF Viet
Nam project.
He
said, hopefully: "I would like to see the familiar green of mangroves
again in my beloved Lap An lagoon."
VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News
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