Agriculture

Marine protected areas are aimed to shield threatened marine ecosystems and undersea resources from intrusive human activity.

Vietnam has set up marine protected areas as part of its efforts to sustainably develop fisheries resources and improve fishing traditions to protect aquatic environment in the country with more than 3,600 kilometers of coastline.

Vietnam is rich in marine resources

The ratio of marine protected areas (MPAs), which are essential for safeguarding biodiversity and the health of marine ecosystems, is around 0.185%, compared to 0.24% of the country’s sea given in the government’s Resolution 742/QĐ-TTg dated in 2010.

As of September 2020, MPAs cover 213,400 ha out of 270,271 ha set in the resolution, the information was released at a conference reviewing 10 years of protection and development of Vietnam’s marine resources by 2020 held last weekend by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

Years ago, Vietnam was aware of the need to protect marine resources to tap potential of the country having more than one million square kilometers (sq.km) of sea as stated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) 1982.

Results

Over the past decade, Vietnam has formed 16 marine protected areas (MPAs) to shield threatened marine ecosystems and other undersea resources from intrusive human activity.

MPAs also provide living laboratories for oceanographers and marine biologists to conduct research.

Marine protected areas in Vietnam help protect fisheries resources

The list covers 12 operating MPAs namely Bach Long Vi (Haiphong city), Con Co (Quang Tri province), Cu Lao Cham (Quang Nam), Ly Son (Quang Ngai), Nha Trang Bay (Khanh Hoa), Cau Island (Binh Thuan); Phu Quoc (Kien Giang), Co To – Dao Tran (Quang Ninh), Bai Tu Long (Quang Ninh), Cat Ba (Haiphong), Nui Chua (Ninh Thuan), and Con Dao (Ba Ria-Vung Tau).

Four others under planning include Hon Me in Thanh Hoa province, Nam Yet in Khanh Hoa, Phu Quy in Binh Thuan, and Hai Van – Son Tra in Danang city and Thua Thien-Hue province.

In 2019, the country’s total seafood output hit 8.15 million tons, including 3.77 million tons of fishing and 4.38 million tons of aquaculture. Its seafood exports recorded US$8.6 billion, listing Vietnam the third largest seafood exporter behind China and Norway.

Great efforts

In 2017, the National Assembly passed Law on Fisheries that supplements the 2003 law with a focus on the protection and conservation of marine resources and biodiversity to ensure sustainable fishing industry.

The 2017 law details Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities and stipulates strict punishments compared to administrative penalties for violations in other fields. It takes into account EU recommendations, and extends to fishery products sourced from illegal fishing for temporary importation, re-export, temporary export, re-import, trans-shipment and transit through Vietnamese territory.

The dialogue on IUU fishing between the EU and Vietnam started in September 2012. The Commission identified Vietnam as non-cooperating country (yellow card) on October 23, 2017 following Vietnam’s failure to address the structural deficiencies in its legal and administrative frameworks to fight IUU fishing that was identified during previous visits.

This yellow card only signals the formalization of the existing dialogue. The Commission continues cooperating with Vietnamese authorities to address the situation that led to the yellow card.

With interesting activities, Ba Vi Tourism Festival is expected to promote travel to the Ba Vi District as well as Hanoi’s suburbs.

Under the framework of Hanoi Gastronomy and Tourism Festival 2021, Ba Vi Tourism Festival will be one of the highlight activities in Hanoi’s suburbs to stimulate the travel demand to the capital.

Attractive activities

An art installation at Thien Son – Suoi Nga eco-tourism complex. Photo: Trong Tuan

Ba Vi Tourism Festival will start from tomorrow, April 18 in Thien Son – Suoi Nga eco-tourism complex, a resort on an area of 450ha with lots of green space. It is an opportunity to promote the potentials of Ba Vi tourism, according to Vice Chairman of Ba Vi District People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Anh.

The festival will take place mainly on Ngoa Son Mountain where a floating stage over Ngoa Son Lake will be set up. It will start with an art show which tells stories about the history of the Ba Vi region, including the unique cultures of the popular Muong and Yao ethnic groups here.

With the theme of promoting natural tourism and environmental protection, the festival features a variety of cultural spaces which decoration materials are from nature such as rattan, bamboo, rose orchids, among others.

Particularly, visitors will have an opportunity to experience different Tour packages offered here.

One of them is the holiday and health care services at Thien Son – Suoi Nga ecotourism complex, Ba Vi National Park, Ao Vua Tourism Area, Tan Da Spa Resort, Khoang Xanh – Suoi Tien Theme Park.

The Thien Son – Suoi Nga eco-tourism complex. Photo: Trong Tuan

Meanwhile, the agricultural tourism will bring new experiences with activities like visiting farm villages; participating in activities in Vietnam’s countryside such as planting rice, catching fish and crabs with bamboo baskets, growing and picking vegetables and herbs, harvesting and making tea, feeding ostriches, goats, rabbits, dairy cows, among others.

Moreover, the heritage journey will be interesting for those who are fond of history and culture. It includes the visit to relics of Tan Vien Son Thanh temple complex, Tan Vien pagoda, K9 Da Chong, Temple of President Ho Chi Minh and so on.

There is also a trekking route in Ba Vi Mountain to discover the area as well as the French town which was built by under the French regime during 1932-1944. There remain the ruins of villas, hotels, a church, a prison, an airport, among others.

During the festival, visitors can also enjoy typical some regional specialties such as Da River’s fish, Com Lam (bamboo rice) and chicken.

Ba Vi moutainous area- the “sleeping beauty” in Hanoi’s suburb. Photo: Thien Son – Suoi Nga eco-tourism complex

Tourism potential

Ba Vi District has great potential for tourism development in the suburb of Hanoi with  ecotourism, holidays, sports tourism (mountain climbing and trekking), medical tourism and spiritual tourism; thanks to the advantages of diversified terrain with mountains, rivers, forests for beautiful ecological zones.

Besides, it boasts rich history and culture with over 300 historical and cultural relics as well as the most unique architectural communal houses in Vietnam such as Tay Dang, Thuy Phieu, Thanh Lung…, and the cultural diversity of Kinh, Muong, and Yao ethnic groups.

However, Ba Vi tourism potential has not yet been tapped. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Tai, Director of VietSense Tourism Company, which has just conducted a survey trip to the area, n the poor infrastructure and traffic, the scarcity of services and the lack of tourism qualification of the locals are the major obstacles for the district’s tourism sector to thrive.

The charming landscape of Ba Vi mountain, Hanoi. Photo: Thien Son – Suoi Nga eco-tourism complex

Currently, Hanoi has planned the Ba Vi – Suoi Hai Tourism Area with a vision to 2030. The People’s Committee of Ba Vi district is also building a plan for Ba Vi tourism development in the near future.

Mr. Duc Anh said in order to promote the potential of Ba Vi tourism, the locality will gradually build new tour packages towards the development of the community-based tourism and those associated with ethnic groups.

In addition, it will focus on green tourism development, invest and upgrade roads to tourist places, apply more information technology, provide free wifi at tourist spots, and cooperate with travel agencies to increase tours to the attractions.

“Ba Vi Tourism Festival is one of the opening activities for the program of promoting tourism in Ba Vi District in 2021. It will help increase the attractiveness of tours to Hanoi’s suburbs, contributing to promoting the capital’s tourism in the coming time,” said Mr. Duc Anh.