This document summarizes a study on privately managed marine reserves as a conservation mechanism for coral reef ecosystems in Vietnam. The study examines two marine reserves managed by a hotel resort - Whale Island Bay and Whale Island Bay Peninsula. Results showed higher fish densities, species richness, and average sizes in the reserves compared to uncontrolled sites. In particular, the older Whale Island Bay reserve displayed a threefold increase in certain fish families. While coral cover remained low, the reserves demonstrated rapid recovery of fish stocks. The study concludes that privately managed reserves like these hotel reserves can effectively boost fish populations and play an important role in global coastal resource conservation.
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Privately Managed Marine Reserves Increase Fish Stocks in Vietnam
1. Privately Managed Marine
Reserves as a Mechanism for the
Conservation of Coral Reef
Ecosystems: A Case Study from
Vietnam
Patrik Svensson, Lynda D. Rodwell and Martin J. Attrill
2. Introdution
Coral reef ecosystems are extremely
important for many tropical coastal
countries.
o Providing food, minerals
o Bring income to local fisheries
o Protect against wave erosion
o Economic value from coral reefs
tourism.
3. Threats to Coral Reefs Ecosystems
Recently, coral reefs ecosystems have
been declining at an alarming rate
around the world.
Especially, coral reef ecosystems in
Southeast Asia are the most threatened
(80%)
The main reason is because of coastal
development and fishing-related
pressures
Pollution, overuse by human,
threatened by bottom trawling,… are
also the threats to coral reefs
ecosystems.
4. Introduction
Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been proven
success at increasing species richness, biomass, and
biodiversity
However, MPAs did not really help solve the problem
in Southeast Asia
In this research, the effectiveness of Hotel Managed
Marine Reserve (HMMR) is considered
This study is carried out in Vietnam
o Whale Island Bay (WIR)
o Whale Island Bay Peninsula (WIBP)
o Two control sites (C1 and C2) on Hon Ong (Whale Island)
5. What is Hotel Managed Marine Reserve
(HMMR)?
HMMR is self-financing MPAs or privately managed MPAs
It is similar to terrestrial private parks, which are well
known, very effectiveness and expanding rapidly.
Privately managed MPAs are still insufficiently
researched.
HMMR is necessary to initiated because of three
reasons:
o Government failure to satisfy public demand for nature
conservation
o Growing societal interest in biodiversity conservation
o The rapidly expanding ecotourism industry
6. Method
Whale Island Resort (WIR) is situated on Hon Ong island
located in Van Phong Bay on the south-central coast of
Vietnam
The hotel owner noticed the decline in local fishes and coral
populations.
With no objections from the fishing families, they
established 11 ha marine reserve: Whale Island Bay (WIB) in
2001
The second bay was enclosed to create 5 ha marine reserve:
Whale Island Bay Peninsula (WIBP) in 2005
Local governments legally 10 years lease
The costs needed to maintain the reserves are relatively low
(less than 10.000/year)
7. Illustration of the study area showing the 11 ha Whale Island Bay (WIB) and the 5 ha
Whale Island Bay Peninsula (WIBP) reserves, plus the locations of the two control sites
(C1 and C2) on Hon Ong (Whale Island), in Van Phong Bay, Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam.
8. Survey
The surveyed areas include WIB, WIBP, and two control sites
(C1 and C2)
All 4 sites were surveyed at 3m and 9m depth
Three surveys were conducted every 6 months during a 3 week
period
Variable distance counting is used to calculate the area
Fish density, species richness, average size of fish, and number
of fish was analyzed by ANOVA
The difference in fish assemblage composition between times
and sites, PRIMER5 software was used
Significance tests for differences between site and time were
performed using ANOSIM
9. RESULT
The amount of fish species in WIB reserve > WIBP
reserve > C1 and C2
Densities of fish were higher at the 3 m sites
compared with the 9 m sites
Rocky substrate cover at 3m is higher than at 9m
Coral cover of WIB is significantly higher than
WIBP
Coral cover is poor at each location (7% at WIB
rocky habitat and less than 1% at the other
locations and depths)
12. Result
Rocky habitats (3 m) have a richer fish assemblage
than sandy habitats (9 m) because of higher
numbers of Pomacentridae, Nemipteridae, and
Labridae
Both are declined in commercially valuable fish
groups: Serranidae, Lethrinidae and Lutjanidae
A threefold increase in Pomacentridae, whereas
Nemipteridae, and to a lesser degree Gerreidae and
Scaridae
Fish stock and sizes are still increasing 6 years after
protection at WIB (2 years for WIBP)
It is a good indicator that fishermen perceive the
reserve to be increasing its fish stock and possibly
producing spillover.
Family: Pomacentridae
Scientific name: Chromis chromis
13. Improvement
Best solution to improve the marine reserve potential
is expanding both reserves to encompass the
peninsula:
o Increase protection efforts
o Increase the capability to self-sustain a larger fish
stock
o Enabling greater larval dispersal and adult movement
across boundaries
Some fishermen suggest the hotel or government could
help compensate for their loss of fishing grounds by
providing support to develop lobster aquaculture
14. Conclusion
This study have shown that HMMRs-
privately managed reserves, can
increase fish stocks rapidly in Whale
island, Vietnam
If hundreds to thousands of HMMRs
lining coastal countries across the
tropics could create a network of
marine reserves
HMMRs has positive effect on fish and
coral growth by providing refugee for
adult, larval.
HMMRs play a part in the conservation
of the world’s coastal resources, while
alleviating financial pressure on
governments.