Cu Mong Proposed Marine Protected Area
| Alternative site name(s) Cu Mong lagoon Province(s) Phu Yen Area 3,000 ha Coordinates 13°30' - 13°39'N, 109°12' - 109°18'E Agro-ecological zone South Central Coast Decreed by government No Management board established No |
Investment plan prepared No VCF eligibility criteria met None Social screening criteria met None Conservation needs assessment prepared No Operational management plan prepared No Tracking tool completed No Yes |
Management history
The Asian Development Bank (ADB 1999) proposed establishing Cu Mong Marine Protected Area, with an area of 3,000 ha.
Topography and hydrology
Cu Mong lagoon is located in Song Cau district, Phu Yen province. The lagoon is 20 km long and about 3 m deep. The lagoon is connected to the open sea by a channel 400 m wide and nearly 5 m deep (ADB 1999).
Biodiversity values
Seagrass beds cover 200 ha of the lagoon, and are an important spawning and nursery area for marine organisms (ADB 1999). Scott (1989) mentions that the site is thought to be an important staging and wintering area for migratory waterfowl. However, during a rapid biodiversity survey conducted by BirdLife International and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources in January 2002, very few waterbirds were recorded, including no species of national or global conservation concern (Le Manh Hung et al. in prep.).
Conservation issues
The environment and aquatic resources of Cu Mong lagoon are currently under the management of Phu Yen Provincial Department of Fisheries. At present, however, there is insufficient capacity to manage the lagoon sustainably, and the site has become degraded as a result of over-exploitation of aquatic resources and unplanned aquacultural development (ADB 1999).
Other documented values
The lagoon is a breeding ground for Penaeus merguensis and other economically valuable shrimp species; annual shrimp production from the lagoon is in the range of 20 to 30 tonnes. Fish production is higher, at between 70 and 150 tonnes per year but the fish caught are typically of small size and low value (ADB 1999).
Related projects
No information.
Conservation needs assessment
A conservation needs assessment has not been conducted for the site.
Operational management plan
An operational management plan has not been prepared for the site.
Eligibility against VCF criteria
The site is ineligible for VCF support because it is not a Special-use Forest.
| Criterion |
Eligibility |
| AI |
|
| AII |
|
| BI |
|
| BII |
|
| BIII |
|
| CI |
|
| CII |
Social screening requirements
A social screening report has not been prepared for the site.
| Criterion |
Eligibility |
| A |
|
| B |
|
| C |
|
| D |
Literature sources
ADB (1999) Draft coastal and marine protected areas plan. Hanoi: Asian Development Bank.
Le Manh Hung, Nguyen Duc Tu, Nguyen Quang Truong, Tordoff, A. W. and Nguyen Viet Hung (in prep.) A rapid biodiversity survey of the coastal zone of central Vietnam. Unpublished report to the BirdLife International Vietnam Programme, the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, and Thua Thien Hue Provincial Department of Science, Technology and the Environment.
Scott, D. A. (1989) A directory of Asian wetlands. Gland: IUCN.
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