11 May 2018 — Grand plans in Vietnam
Sent 11 May 2018. Part of Little Blue Letter.
"When you sail on a boat,
you take with you the minimum of resources.
You don't waste anything."
~ Ellen Macarthur
you take with you the minimum of resources.
You don't waste anything."
~ Ellen Macarthur
Grand plans in Vietnam
Vietnam has been working for over a decade on the development of a coastal Marine Protected Area (MPA) network. Nine MPAs now dot the coastline, home to coral reefs, endangered sea turtles, and seagrass communities that act as important carbon sinks. The Cham Islands MPA, off the coast of tourist-friendly Hoi An City, is one of the network's flagship sites and a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve.
With fishing restrictions in place, a key challenge has been to help this island community of 3,000 people to transition from a traditional fishing economy to tourism. Marine biologist Dr. Chu Manh Trinh has provided this support, engaging and negotiating with the community to ensure that the MPA works for everyone.
Trinh is now sharing lessons learned from the Cham Islands MPA with Vietnam's newest MPA, the Ly Son islands. The Ly Son MPA management plan includes innovative measures requiring the only tour operator to spend part of its revenue on conservation and on the local community.
But too much tourism could bring problems like reef trampling and overwhelming waste (four million tourists visited the Cham Islands in 2017—quite a large number for a small MPA). Trinh and his colleagues have pioneered measures such as the nation’s first plastic bag ban in order to address these challenges.
#OceanOptimism
Most marine litter comes from a relatively small geographic area - in fast-developing countries where the demand for consumer products has outpaced development of waste-management infrastructure. Fortunately, simple improvements to garbage collection and storage can prevent leaks and drastically reduce litter. Local leaders in Vietnam are fighting ocean plastic by building a zero waste coalition.
Ocean opportunity
Little Blue Letter was curated this week by Clara Bonaventura. Clara is a water quality enthusiast who manages the digital communications at Pacific Environment.
Nicole Portley lent a helping hand. Nicole is the Acting Marine Program Director at Pacific Environment.
Editing etc. by Glen Wright. Glen is a researcher studying marine governance, the high seas, and ocean energy. He is a drinker of tea, lover of the sea, and an Oxford comma user. Glen recently published Academia Obscura: The Hidden Silly Side of Higher Education.
Little Blue Letter is a splash of uplifting ocean stuff, lovingly curated by young ocean leaders and shipped straight to your inbox every Friday. Pass it on, encourage other ocean lovers to sign up, and follow on Twitter
Vietnam has been working for over a decade on the development of a coastal Marine Protected Area (MPA) network. Nine MPAs now dot the coastline, home to coral reefs, endangered sea turtles, and seagrass communities that act as important carbon sinks. The Cham Islands MPA, off the coast of tourist-friendly Hoi An City, is one of the network's flagship sites and a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve.
Trinh is now sharing lessons learned from the Cham Islands MPA with Vietnam's newest MPA, the Ly Son islands. The Ly Son MPA management plan includes innovative measures requiring the only tour operator to spend part of its revenue on conservation and on the local community.But too much tourism could bring problems like reef trampling and overwhelming waste (four million tourists visited the Cham Islands in 2017—quite a large number for a small MPA). Trinh and his colleagues have pioneered measures such as the nation’s first plastic bag ban in order to address these challenges.
#OceanOptimism
Most marine litter comes from a relatively small geographic area - in fast-developing countries where the demand for consumer products has outpaced development of waste-management infrastructure. Fortunately, simple improvements to garbage collection and storage can prevent leaks and drastically reduce litter. Local leaders in Vietnam are fighting ocean plastic by building a zero waste coalition.
Ocean opportunity
- Nominate a youth leader for Ocean Heroes Boot Camp, where they'll receive training on how to create their own campaign to take action against ocean plastic pollution.
- Conservation X Labs brings together thinkers, doers and solvers to collaborate on innovative conservation projects. They are launching a prize for ocean conservation solutions - 20 semifinalists will be awarded $3500 each to create a prototype, competing for the grand prize of $20,000. Join the community here: https://conservationx.com
Little Blue Letter was curated this week by Clara Bonaventura. Clara is a water quality enthusiast who manages the digital communications at Pacific Environment.Nicole Portley lent a helping hand. Nicole is the Acting Marine Program Director at Pacific Environment.Editing etc. by Glen Wright. Glen is a researcher studying marine governance, the high seas, and ocean energy. He is a drinker of tea, lover of the sea, and an Oxford comma user. Glen recently published Academia Obscura: The Hidden Silly Side of Higher Education.Little Blue Letter is a splash of uplifting ocean stuff, lovingly curated by young ocean leaders and shipped straight to your inbox every Friday. Pass it on, encourage other ocean lovers to sign up, and follow on Twitter
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