Community-nurtured ecosystems: [2] Fishing village protects coral reef, sustains livelihoods

Marine ecosystem protection community

Tam Xuan Commune (Da Nang City) was established through the merger of the former communes of Tam Xuan I, Tam Xuan II, and Tam Tien. As a coastal commune, fishing and aquaculture are considered Tam Xuan's key economic sectors. Each day, nearly 300 offshore fishing vessels land hundreds of tons of seafood at Tam Xuan. The annual seafood catch is approximately 9,900 tons, placing the commune among the leading localities in Da Nang City in seafood exploitation.

Fishing has long been the primary source of livelihood for local residents and has been preserved and passed down through generations as a traditional occupation. The Tam Tien waters are also among Nui Thanh's most renowned fishing grounds.

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Community-nurtured ecosystems: [1] Entire village joins hands to protect rare species

According to Vice Chairman of the Tam Xuan Commune People's Committee Doan Van Linh, the commune boasts more than 8 km of coastline and is traversed by the Tam Ky and Truong Giang rivers, giving it abundant and diverse aquatic resources. Particularly, the Ba Dau Reef area is a traditional fishing ground with numerous high-value aquatic species, making a significant contribution to local livelihoods. These favorable natural conditions have laid a solid foundation for the development of seafood exploitation and fisheries logistics services, gradually establishing the commune's key economic sector.

However, for generations, local fishermen have relied primarily on traditional fishing methods, including curtain nets, purse seine, squid lift nets, and push nets, while fisheries services also account for a considerable share of the local economy. The structure of the fishing fleet and fishing practices are not yet well suited to local conditions. Many small vessels still operate in nearshore waters, using trawl nets that pose a significant threat to the marine environment, aquatic resources, and coastal ecosystems, and gradually undermine the natural replenishment of aquatic resources in nearshore waters.

The situation has long been a concern for local authorities. In response, local residents have taken the initiative and taken concrete actions to protect marine ecosystems, biodiversity, and aquatic resources. The story of a fishing village joining hands to safeguard the Ba Dau Coral Reef has become a model in the locality.

Empowering the community

Since 2021, residents of Ha Loc fishing village have voluntarily established the Ba Dau Reef Community Patrol Team for Aquatic Resource Protection to co-manage a 64-hectare marine area. The site contains more than 20 hectares of coral reefs with coral cover reaching 30% and serves as an important spawning ground for numerous marine species.

The Ba Dau Reef Community Team comprises 43 members responsible for organizing management activities, conducting patrols and inspections, and handling violations related to aquaculture, seafood exploitation, tourism, and aquatic resource protection in accordance with the law. The team also conducts communication campaigns to encourage fishermen to comply with IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated) fishing regulations, including prohibitions on the use of banned fishing gear, fishing in prohibited waters, harvesting rare or endangered marine species, and catching aquatic species below the legally prescribed minimum size.

Community-based initiatives have included installing marker buoys to demarcate the coral reef protection zone, zoning fishing areas, and designating anchorage points for tourism vessels serving beachgoers and coral-diving activities. The community team has also developed its operating regulations and a co-management plan for fisheries based on input from local residents, management agencies, and experts.

In 2022, the Nui Thanh District People's Committee (formerly Quang Nam Province) officially recognized the Ba Dau Reef Community Team and granted it management rights over 64 ha of sea surface. The decision formally recognized the community team's role and responsibilities and empowered local residents to participate in fisheries co-management.

According to Vo Hong Ron, Deputy Head of the Community Team, the Tam Tien Community Team for Aquatic Resource Protection has developed a plan to conserve and sustainably use aquatic resources in the Ba Dau Reef area. Its conservation efforts focus on the coral reef ecosystem, including coral species and marine life inhabiting the reef, such as seaweed, egg-bearing spiny lobsters, juvenile spiny lobsters, sea turtles, ornamental fish, various mollusks, juvenile aquatic species, and several aquatic species listed as prohibited from exploitation.

The community team also raises public awareness of marine environmental protection by encouraging residents not to discharge waste or dump rubbish along the Ha Loc seawall and by promoting voluntary beach clean-ups after the morning fish market at Tam Tien Beach.

According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Uy, Chief of the Office of the Tam Xuan Commune People's Committee, the community-based patrol team model for aquatic resource protection has delivered remarkable efficiency. Illegal fishing activities within the protected area have been virtually eliminated, while public awareness of marine environmental protection has improved significantly. Residents no longer dump waste indiscriminately along the Tam Tien coastline, helping to reduce marine pollution.

As the marine environment has been kept clean, many local residents have shifted their livelihoods from harvesting wild marine resources to community-based tourism, tourism associated with conservation. Although still in their early stages, tourism-related businesses such as restaurants and accommodation facilities have begun to emerge in Tam Tien, encouraging tourists to stay longer. The new income sources generated by these sustainable livelihoods have also helped keep fishermen ashore, enabling them to transition from fishing to land-based tourism services. This shift has created more stable and sustainable sources of income while contributing to the protection of marine ecosystems.

Alongside the community's sense of stewardship, strategic direction from local authorities and support from international organizations have given residents greater confidence in patrolling and safeguarding marine ecosystems.

In December 2025, the Commune People's Committee issued a communication plan to raise public awareness and prevent violations of laws on wildlife protection and aquatic resource conservation. In January 2026, the unit launched a plan to implement Da Nang City's Project on Transitioning Fisheries Harmful to Aquatic Resources and Marine Ecosystems for the 2026–2030 period. The commune also conducted a preliminary review and inventory of fishing vessels operating in nearshore and inshore waters that pose risks to aquatic resources and marine ecosystems or no longer meet the legal requirements for continued operation.

The local authorities have also developed plans to strengthen and expand fisheries logistics services and to reorganize the Tam Tien fish market in Ha Loc village to improve efficiency and ensure stable operations. The upgraded market is expected to create employment for approximately 350–500 workers. Meanwhile, boatbuilding and repair facilities, as well as businesses supplying fuel and ice and purchasing and processing seafood, continue to operate, creating favorable conditions for fishermen to confidently venture offshore and remain at sea.

Most fishermen are members of the Tam Tien Fisheries Trade Union, which has strengthened cooperation within the fishing community through mutual support in search and rescue operations, the sharing of fishing-ground information, and the protection of fishermen' legitimate rights and interests. Fishing operations at sea have also become better organized, with many vessels joining mutual-support groups to assist one another during fishing trips, thereby improving operational efficiency and ensuring safety at sea.

The commune authorities have coordinated with the Seafarer Training Center to organize courses for fishing vessel captains and chief engineers, improving their professional skills, technical expertise, and knowledge of crew responsibilities. The training is designed to help them minimize operational difficulties, equipment failures, and other challenges encountered while navigating vessels and operating marine engines at sea.

Since early 2026, the World Wide Fund for Nature in Viet Nam (WWF-Viet Nam) has accompanied the community team in patrolling and protecting 64 hectares of water surface. In addition to providing patrol equipment and financial support, WWF has focused on raising public awareness and promoting livelihood transitions, thereby contributing to sustainable environmental protection.

"Thanks to the sustained efforts of local residents, the authorities, and supporting organizations, aquatic resource protection initiatives have significantly reduced the use of electric shock devices for fishing. These efforts have helped conserve aquatic resources and the habitats of marine species, ensuring more stable and sustainable livelihoods for fishermen while responding to the legitimate aspirations of the majority of fishing communities operating in riverine waters," said Vice Chairman of the Tam Xuan Commune People's Committee Doan Van Linh.