Artificial reef placement proves useful in Ca Mau province

A concrete structure is placed onto the sea off Ca Mau province to accommodate marine species. (Source: VNA)

Ca Mau (VNA) – After morethan three years, a project on placing artificial reefs to protect and enrichfishery resources in combination with tourism development off the southernmostprovince of Ca Mau has recorded initial encouraging results.

From 2019 to 2021, with support fromthe Thai Government, Ca Mau placed 500 concrete blocks to its western seaarea to accommodate marine species. Following initial successes, it addedanother 400 structures to the sea under a programme on fishery resourcesprotection and development.

Nguyen Viet Trieu, deputy head ofthe province’s sub-department for fisheries, said the work hascreated living and breeding sites for marine animals and helped them avoid destructivefishing methods, thus contributing to fishery resources recovery.

A survey of the 1.88 sq.km area where the 900 blocks are placed shows thatthe inshore maritime ecosystem, including small fish and the species with higheconomic or biotope values, has been protected from negative impacts of somefishing activit.

Another important result is theimproved environment in this area and its vicinity, he said, elaborating thatthere are now 97 commercial species, including 62 fish, 15 crustacean, and 20mollusc species, up from only 40 commercial species (25 fish, eight crustacean,and seven mollusk ones) before the reefs were put.

The number of species in the area with artificial reefs has increased considerably. (Source: VNA)

Surveys conducted before and afterthe placement also indicated a considerable improvement in local fishermen’sincome. The average catch and profit from gillnetting have increased by 15.4%and 6.5 million VND (277 USD) each trip. Meanwhile, the catch from fish trapsrose 27.4% and from squid fishing 16.1% each trip.

Besides, the presence of predatoryfish such as cobia, mackerel, doublespotted queenfish,and barracuda also proves the recovery ofthe natural food chain in this area, Trieu went on.

The placement of man-made reefs has also helped provide more livelihoods forlocal residents, he noted, adding that new jobs have been created such as supplying diving and recreational fishing services while public awareness of fishery resourcesprotection improved

Chau Cong Bang, Deputy Director of the Ca Mau Department of Agriculture andRural Development, said such results give the province a basis to expand the existingarea of artificial reefs and apply the model to other zones with similarconditions. The move promises high effectiveness in conserving fisheryresources and developing the sector sustainably./.

VNA