Coral reefs in Vietnam - Endangered

Scientists have warned that up to nine-tenths of the more than 1,000km2 of coral reefs in Vietnam are in danger of dying while marine environmental pollution is worsening and aquatic resources are growing. The event is over.

(Artwork: epa.gov)

From the study a week ago, scientists were taken aback by the serious degradation of coral reefs in the Ha Long Bay area, the world natural heritage.

Dr. Dam Duc Tien, Head of Marine Plant, Captain of Underground Police (Institute of Marine Environmental Resources), said: "After the coral survey in Ha Long Bay, it is very sad. There is nothing to say. All dead corals, including new and old ones, are still dead and white.

200 points of coral reefs surveyed in Vietnam's coastal waters show that, within 10 years, coral cover is significantly reduced.

According to Dr. Nguyen Huy Yet, the Vietnam Museum of Nature, where is it, where there is no living land. On the hard rock foundation at the bottom of the sea, corals and seaweed compete fiercely to get a place to live and develop. Degraded and destroyed corals mean aquatic resources in Halong Bay and around only degradation and destruction. Not to mention the loss of a natural breakwater every time a storm or tsunami hits the shore.

Investigating the recent sources of catching seafood in Ha Long Bay and surrounding areas, scientists also saw the absence of precious seafood such as butterflyfish, grouper, sword, conical snail, prison snail and painting. learning, etc. The Ministry of Fisheries said that the catches of ships reduced from 1.1 tons / horsepower (HP) in 1985 to 0.45 tons / HP in 2000.

In the area of ​​about 1,100 km ² coral reefs in our country, there are 350 coral species and 800 kinds of fish live, accounting for 18-60% of the total fish species in the waters of neighboring countries. A coral survey report in Vietnam said that 96% of corals are threatened, of which 75% are seriously threatened and very serious. In 2000, Dr. Yet and his colleagues went to survey coral in Co To archipelago, 30 km from Van Don coast of Quang Ninh province, including about 15 small islands and three large islands (Big Co, Thanh Lan, Co Baby 'Back then, I still found corals to be good, live coral reefs covered over 50%, ' Dr. Yet said.

In 1985, almost all coral reefs along Ha Long Island. By 1998, 1/3 of coral reefs were lost compared to 1985. Surveys in mid-June this year showed that Ha Long and Bai Tu Long bays were almost no more corals.

Many people who have been vacationing in Bai Chay in recent years complain that the sea water is more turbid than it used to be and after the skin swimming it was more itchy than before.

Ironically, Ha Long Bay is one of three places that are classified as quite effective in management according to the evaluation criteria of international models: Cat Ba, Con Dao and Ha Long Bay. Compared to the status of coral reefs in the region, scientists' latest computational model shows that Vietnam is among the countries and territories with the most threatened reefs (with with the Philippines, China, Taiwan and Indonesia).