Promoting involvement of communities in protecting and developing aquatic resources

On August 24th, the Department of Aquatic Resources Conservation and Development under the Directorate of Fisheries, in collaboration with the Center for Marine Life Conservation and Community Development (MCD), held an online dialogue on drafting the National Program for the protection and development of aquatic resources in the 2021-2030 period and sharing the practice of Co-Management in the Center Coastal region."

At the dialogue, representatives of the Department of Aquatic Resources Conservation and Development presented a draft on the National Program on the Protection and Development of Aquatic Resources in the 2021-2030 period, emphasizing one of the key duty is promoting the involvement of the communities, organizations and individuals in the protection and development of aquatic resources.

The online meeting came up with the solutions including: Organizing the Co-management practices, enhancing dialogues and cooperations between authorities and relevant agencies. Especially, establishing a foundation for the protection and development of aquatic resources, attracting financial resources to support the program, projects and non-project activities in the field of conservation, protection, regeneration and development of aquatic resources.

The representatives of MCD and the Sub-Departments of Fisheries of Khanh Hoa, Quang Nam, Binh Dinh informed of the Co-Management practices in the protection of aquatic resources in each province. At the same time, they shared the orientations, plans in order to make the process of the co-management be carried out smoothly.

At the online dialogue, experts actively contributed their perspectives, sharing their experiences in developing community organizations and executing the regulations on the protection of aquatic resources under the Fisheries Law 2017.

The representatives of the Directorate of Fisheries said that advisory ideas at the meeting and the upcoming activities would contribute to completing and implementing goals and making plans for the National Program on Protection and Development of Aquatic Resources. For examples: Pilot project on the co-management models of aquatic resources under the Fisheries Law 2017 in seven ecological zones in the country and the Project on the implementation of the Co-Management in the protection of aquatic resources.

The dialogue is a part of the Project "Supporting Vietnam implementing the Fisheries Law 2017 with initiatives from the central to local levels" led by MCD in the 2021-2023 period.   

The project aims to support the implementation and scale-up of the co-management model and mobilizing the participation of stakeholders and communities in the protection of aquatic resources in the Central coastal region of Vietnam, contributing to the sustainable improvement and development of fisheries.

The Center for Marine life conservation and Community development (MCD) is a pioneer organization in the environmental protection and marine ecosystem conservation, striving for Vietnamese coastal areas with clean and safe environment, healthy ecosystem and the coastal communities with a good quality of life.