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[ Background index ] Table 5: Proposed marine protected areas in Vietnam
Marine protected areas today Currently, there is no legislative or institutional framework for marine protected areas in Vietnam (ADB 1999, Azimi et al. 2000). The current institutional situation is unclear because different aspects of marine resource management are the responsibility of different ministries, in particular, the Ministry of Fisheries (MOFI), MOSTE and MARD (NEA/IUCN 2000). For the purposes of this sourcebook, all marine protected areas are regarded as proposed protected areas. Efforts have been underway for several years to develop a legal and institutional basis for marine protected area establishment and management. It would appear that these efforts will shortly bear fruit. The Hai Phong Institute of Oceanography, on behalf of MOSTE/NEA, compiled a shortlist of 16 proposed marine protected areas to be included in a national marine protected areas system (Nguyen Chu Hoi et al. eds. 1998). On the basis of this document, the government of Vietnam has recently set a target of 2010 to formally establish 15 marine protected areas (MOSTE/NEA 2000). Table 5 list all sites that have been proposed as marine protected areas to date, by either the Hai Phong Institute of Oceanography (Nguyen Huy Yet and Vo Si Tuan 1995), MOSTE (Nguyen Chu Hoi et al. eds. 1998) or the Asian Development Bank (ADB 1999). Although information about some proposed marine protected area is relatively good, most have not been surveyed in detail. ADB (1999) note some key gaps in information available on marine biodiversity, for example, the distribution of coral reefs and seagrass beds in central Vietnam. The lack of comprehensive information makes setting priorities for the establishment of marine protected areas difficult. Current institutional responsibilities for marine resource management MOSTE is responsible for implementing the Law on Environmental Protection. MOSTE is also responsible for preparing a list of wetlands of national importance, many of which are coastal sites. MOFI has recently been assigned the responsibility for establishing and managing the marine protected areas system (Azimi et al. 2000, Nguyen Chu Hoi 2000). Through the Fisheries Protection Department (FiPD), MOFI is responsible for implementing the Ordinance on Conservation and Management of Living Aquatic Resources. This ordinance provides a legal basis for establishing fisheries protection zones, which, while they are not protected areas, have some conservation objectives (ADB 1999, Nguyen Chu Hoi 2000). Through the FPD, MARD is responsible for managing the national system of Special-use Forests, which includes many coastal sites and some marine areas. [ Background index | Next ]
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