On June 27, 2024, in Phu Quoc city (Kien Giang), representatives from 28 businesses attended a consultation meeting on Phu Quoc marine conservation. The meeting was organized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the World Wide Fund for Nature in Vietnam (WWF-Vietnam), and the Kien Giang Marine Protected Area Management Board.
During the meeting, the MDC Project and the Kien Giang Marine Protected Area Management Board discussed ideas and cooperative mechanisms between businesses and local management agencies to preserve the crucial marine ecosystem in Phu Quoc. This strategy, which promotes cooperation among stakeholders, when applied to vulnerable coastal areas of the Mekong Delta (Mekong Delta), particularly in Phu Quoc Marine Protected Area and the three small island clusters in the southwestern sea – Hai Tac, Ba Lua, Nam Du, will contribute to reducing threats to biodiversity and fishery resources while enhancing the resilience of the coastal ecosystems in the Mekong Delta.
Phu Quoc is the largest island in Vietnam, boasting a diverse ecosystem that includes extensive coral reefs and seagrass beds spanning thousands of hectares. These invaluable ecosystems are facing threats of degradation, environmental pollution, and climate change.
Local management authorities have noted that trawling or dredging is significantly affecting the seagrass beds, in addition to environmental pollution and climate change. The coral reefs, another critically important marine habitat, are similarly impacted by destructive fishing practices, reckless anchoring, and irresponsible tourism behaviors. The bleaching of hard corals in Phu Quoc continues to be a concern.
At the meeting, the 28 businesses operating in Phu Quoc presented their views, opinions, and suggestions on marine conservation. These included zoning and designing tourism activities to avoid affecting coral reefs, sharing environmental criteria to adjust business operations, and contributing to the protection of the marine ecosystem, among other topics.
The MDC Project will continue to play a coordinating role between businesses and the Marine Protected Area Management Board, providing technical support to businesses to develop environmentally friendly activities.
The MDC Project is a collaboration between WWF-Vietnam, IUCN, Vietnamese government agencies, local authorities, businesses, management boards, development partners, and the fishing community. It aims to reduce threats to biodiversity and fishery resources while enhancing the resilience of coastal ecosystems in the Mekong Delta. The project is being implemented in vulnerable coastal areas of the Mekong Delta, such as the Phu Quoc Marine Protected Area and the three small island clusters in the southwestern sea: Hai Tac, Ba Lua, and Nam Du.
The project consists of three main components:
- Strengthening marine conservation: Enhancing the effectiveness of marine conservation efforts by the Kien Giang Marine Protected Area Management Board and relevant stakeholders through the promotion of business participation.
- Promoting sustainable fishery resource management and use: This focuses on the three island clusters of Nam Du, Ba Lua, and Hai Tac.
- Protecting biodiversity of coastal aquatic ecosystems: Ensuring the livelihoods of fishermen in the context of climate change.
VFM
