Illustrative image (Source: internet) Hai Phong (VNA) – Bach Long Vi is the farthest island of Vietnam in the Gulf of Tokinand it is making all-out efforts to implement the national marine strategy by 2020in a bid to prosper from the sea.
Covering around 2.5 square kilometres when the tide is rising and about 4square kilometres when the tide is receding, the island became a district ofthe northern coastal city of Hai Phong under the Government’s Decree 15/CPdated December 9, 1992.
Despite its small scale, the island with its significant strategic position haslong been regarded important in the country’s marine economic development,security and national defence strategy in the Gulf of Tonkin.
Later in 1994, the Prime Minister issued Decision 397/TTG approving thedevelopment of the Bach Long Vi island district into a district-leveladministrative unit and a fishery logistics centre in the Gulf of Tonkin.
With a harbour that went into operation in 2000, the island district providesstorm shelters for about 11,000 fishing boats each year.
Bach Long Vi ishome to many species of sea grass, 65 seaweed species, 94 coral species, 110species of marine zooplankton, 227 species of marine phytoplankton, and 451species of marine fish.
It also boasts 17species of mangroves and 125 benthic or seafloor dwelling species.
The island,housing nearly 1,000 residents, has been built to become a fishery logisticscentre, thus receiving average annual arrivals of up to 30,000 boats and200,000 fishermen.
Do Duc Hoa,Chairman of the Bach Long Vi People’s Committee, said his district has beenprioritizing three strategic missions for socio-economic development by 2020,which are protecting the national sovereignty over seas and islands, buildinginfrastructure system and developing the economy based on sea and island.
Bach Long Vi,together with Song Cam, Dinh Vu, Lach Huyen, Nam Do Son, formed the mainterminals of Hai Phong seaport.
Endowed with ahuge resource of valuable marine creatures, Bach Long Vi has chosen fishery andservices as its spearheaded sectors.
From 2017, thelocality is aiming to develop a wide range of key services, includinglogistics, oil & gas, banking, insurance, marine medicine and finance.
Bach Long Vi hasall potentials needed to become a hub of eco-tourism as well as high-end marineand convalescence tourism in the future.
The localauthorities are also working to make the Bach Long Vi marine reserve set up underthe Prime Minister’s Decision No 2630/QD-TTG operate in a more efficient manner.
The Bach Long Vimarine reserve is among the eight biggest fishing grounds in the Gulf of Tonkin.Its fish and squid reserve amount to 78,000 and 5,000 tonnes, of which 38,000and 2,500 tonnes can be caught on an annual basis. People also found seacucumbers and abalones gathering in large here in addition to the residency ofmany rare and endemic species.
The sea-basedeconomic activities have contributed to better the living standards of islanders.
Recently, the HaiPhong youth association has launched a number of projects in a bid to acceleratethe economic growth in the Bach Long Vi island district.
One of theseprojects is the construction of a clean water reservoir with a capacity of60,000 cubic metres. Under a total investment of almost 188.2 billion VND (8.3million USD), the project will soon complete its first phase.
Once becomeoperational, it is expected to supply 500 local residents with drinkable waterand contribute to encouraging more people to relocate to the island.
The youthassociation has also put an abalone breeding centre into operation, whichhelped create jobs for locals, protect the environment and sustainably developthe economy.
According to DaoTrong Tue, Vice Chairman of the Bach Long Vi district People’s Committee, thedistrict recorded positive outcomes in socio-economic and cultural developmentin the first half of 2016 that exceeded all quotas set for the period.
Bach Long Vi willsteer future development of its economy towards industry & construction,trade & commerce and agro-fishery, with average budget collection growingbetween 12 and 15 percent per year.-VNA
VNA
