Poverty and aquatic resources in Vietnam: an assessment of the role and potential of aquatic resource management in poor people's livelihoods

This report seeks to discuss a variety of approaches to poverty in order to illustrate the diversity of poor people, and the range of ways in which people are poor, facilitating a broader understanding of poverty and the significance of aquatic resources in poor people’s livelihoods. This is intended to provide a balance to the general neglect of the poor in the pursuit of aquaculture development within the Fisheries sector. It is also intended that this approach to poverty will assist in the planning and targeting of aquatic resource interventions that aim to promote poverty alleviation. In its many different forms, poverty remains a persistent problem with a great number of people facing deprivation and vulnerable livelihoods. Rates of poverty alleviation also differ; whereas the Red River Delta has achieved the greatest reductions in poverty, the Mekong Delta has achieved the smallest improvements, with possible indications that inequality has increased (see 2.4). Inequality between regions persists despite progress in all regions. (PDF has 37 pages.)

Integration of crustacean aquaculture with coastal rice farming in Vietnam

Some examples are given of integration of crustacean aquaculture into coastal rice farming in Vietnam. Freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii ) and marine shrimp culture integrated with coastal rice farming and crab (Scylla serrata ) culture in backyard ponds and ricefields are described.

Tilapia breeding in ricefields in Vietnam

Results of the studies undertaken for breeding and nursing Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in ricefields in Thai Binh province in Vietnam during the years 1995-96 are briefly presented in this paper.

Preliminary results of a silver carp breeding program in Vietnam

The article describes the silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys harmandi and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) breeding program in Vietnam.

Economics and management strategies for restocking sandfish in Vietnam

This paper assesses the costs and benefits of a proposed project for restocking sandfish (Holothuria scabra) in Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. It identifies the key stakeholders, institutional framework, management and financing required for its implementation. The recommended management strategy includes a 50 percent harvest at optimum size. Limiting the number of boats fishing an area, possibly through licensing, can control the number of sandfish removed. The easiest way to prevent harvesting of undersized sandfish is to control the size of processed sandfish from processors. The potential benefits of restocking are shown by the rapid changes in selected indicators, particularly the net present value, the internal rate of return, and the benefit-cost ratio. Probability analysis is used to estimate the uncertainties in the project calculations. Based on a conservative estimate, the restocking of sandfish is expected to be profitable, although cost-benefit analyses are sensitive to the survival of restocked sandfish and their progeny, and the number of boats fishing for sandfish in the release area.

A comparison of two fishery-independent survey programs used to define the population structure of American lobster (Homarus americanus) in the Gulf of Maine

The population structure and abundance of the American lobster (Homarus americanus) stock in the Gulf of Maine are defined by data derived from a fishery-independent trawl survey program conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Few sampling stations in the survey area are located inshore, in particular along coastal Maine. According to statistics, however, more than two thirds of the lobster landings come from inshore waters within three miles off the coast of Maine. In order to include an inshore survey program, complementary to the NMFS survey, the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) initialized an inshore survey program in 2000. The survey was modeled on the NMFS survey program, making these two survey programs comparable. Using data from both survey programs, we evaluated the population structure of the American lobster in the Gulf of Maine. Our findings indicate that lobsters in the Gulf of Maine tend to have a size-dependent inshore-off-shore distribution; smaller lobsters are more likely to stay inshore and larger lobsters are more likely to stay offshore. The DMR inshore and NMFS survey programs focused on different areas in the Gulf of Maine and likely targeted different segments of the stock. We suggest that data from both survey programs be used to assess the lobster stock and to describe the dynamics of the stock in the Gulf of Maine.

Wastewater reuse in aquaculture: socially and environmentally appropriate wastewater treatment for Vietnam

Wastewater is reused and treated in four main types of farming in Vietnam: fish culture in 200 ha; rotation of rice and fish culture in 400 ha; land vegetables and aquatic vegetables.

Economic analysis of climate change adaptation strategies in selected coastal areas in Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam

Climate change with its attendant geophysical hazards is well studied. A great deal of attention has gone into analyzing climate change impacts as well as searching out possible mitigating adaptive strategies. These matters are very real concerns, especially for coastal communities. Such communities are often the most vulnerable to climate change, since their citizens frequently live in abject poverty and have limited capacity to adapt to geophysical hazards. Their situation is further complicated by the prospect of dealing with a confluence of hazards in comparison with those in other ecosystems. Against this backdrop Worldfish and the Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia (EEPSEA) collaborated to implement the cross-country study “Climate Change Impacts, Vulnerability Assessments, Economic and Policy Analysis of Adaptation Strategies in Selected Coastal Areas in Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam”. As its title suggests the study covered selected sites in Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. Employing a gamut of interdisciplinary methodologies -- ranging from community-based approaches such as community hazard mapping and focus group discussions (FGDs) to regression techniques -- the study documented the impacts from three climate hazards affecting coastal communities. These were typhoon/flooding, coastal erosion, and saltwater intrusion. The team also analyzed planned adaptation options suited to implementation by communities and local governments, augmenting autonomous responses of households to protect and insure themselves from these hazards.

STREAM Country Strategy Paper: Vietnam

Vietnam is a coastal country in Southeast Asia with a population of over 80 million. Although Vietnam has long been listed among the poorest countries of the world, it has recently made large strides in reducing poverty and improving food security. However, the dramatic gains in poverty reduction in Vietnam still remain quite fragile. There is growing evidence to indicate that dependence on aquatic resources is correlated to poverty, and that aquatic resources constitute an important component of wider livelihoods strategies (largely from the Mekong Delta, Central Coast and the Northern Mountains). (PDF contains 19 pages)

Information Access Survey: Vietnam

Vietnam has an estimated 300,000 ha of water bodies throughout the country, plus about 3,200 km of coastline. The Government of Vietnam promotes development of aquaculture as an important part of the fisheries sector. The Government of Vietnam has recently placed particular emphasis on the importance of effective aquatic resources management for poverty alleviation. A great number of national and international activities, projects and organizations currently operate within the aquatic resources management sector in Vietnam. In a country with limited resources, the importance of efficient and effective information exchange among stakeholders within the sector, and between the sector and aquatic resources users, is increasingly being recognized. (PDF contains 59 pages)

Symposium on participatory approaches to reservoir fisheries management: issues, challenges and policies. Dambulla, Sri Lanka, 04-06 Oct. 2004 Session I. Community-based fisheries management; experience in other countries: presentation on STREAM Vietnam’s experience

Established in early 2002, STREAM Vietnam has so far attained a number of good experiences and lessons in using participatory approaches for its work. The Country Office has been able to link to a wide range of stakeholders, and is working hard to build close relationships amongst them, so that institutional entities can better support the livelihoods of poor aquatic resources users, and support disadvantaged groups of people to improve their living standards by themselves. Reservoir fisheries and co-management are at early stage in Vietnam, but in certain places and industries co-management has brought about successful results by involving proactive participation of communities. Situated on the same continent and having many similarities, the interaction in agriculture and fisheries sector between Vietnam and Sri Lanka has brought the two countries closer. Being members of the STREAM family, there are great opportunities for exchange of experiences and lessons towards sustainable management of reservoir resources. (PDF has 11 pages.)

Proceedings of the scoping meeting on Sustainable Aquaculture for Poverty Alleviation (SAPA), Hanoi, Vietnam, 23-25 May 2000

Vietnam has a large number of poor people whose livelihoods depend in various ways on aquatic resources. More than 20 million people living along the coastline are among the most vulnerable and poorest in Vietnam and similarly poor situations occur with more than 10 million population living in mid and highland areas throughout the country. The Government of Vietnam is giving high priority to the poverty alleviation and following several successful government and donor funded projects, it is recognized that aquaculture can and should play an increasingly important role in improving the livelihoods of poor people. (Pdf contains 216 pages).