Thuy Trieu Proposed Marine Protected Area
| Alternative site name(s) Cam Ranh bay, Thuy Trieu lagoon Province(s) Khanh Hoa Area 5,000 ha Coordinates 11°46' - 12°07'N, 109°07' - 109°15'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 a marine protected area at Thuy Trieu lagoon, with a total area of 5,000 ha.
Topography and hydrology
Thuy Trieu lagoon is a coastal lagoon, which lies in a north-south direction, parallel to the coast of central Vietnam. To the south, the lagoon opens into Cam Ranh bay, which also forms part of the proposed marine protected area. The bay and lagoon are sheltered from the open sea by the Cam Ranh peninsula, which extends down from the north. The proposed marine protected area contains two small islands, Binh Ba and Binh Hung, at the mouth of the bay.
Biodiversity values
The centre of the lagoon supports an estimated 800 ha of seagrass beds. Coral reef habitats still occur in Cam Ranh bay, as well as offshore (ADB 1999). The site is an important staging ground for migratory waterbirds. The globally vulnerable Chinese Egret Egretta eulophotes and the globally near-threatened Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis have both been recorded in the area (Eames and Tordoff in prep.).
Conservation issues
There is no specific management board to coordinate all concerned agencies in the management of the site as a protected area. As a result, exploitation of natural resources and aquacultural pond development have been only loosely controlled. The large area of mangroves that once occurred at the site has now been extensively cleared as a result of aquacultural pond development (ADB 1999).
Among the threats to biodiversity identified by ADB (1999) are pollution from aquaculture, sand exploitation and sugar-cane processing; over-fishing; and use of destructive fishing techniques. Additionally, there is a military base in the bay, which may present an obstacle to designating the site as a protected area.
Other documented values
Thuy Trieu lagoon is a very important shrimp hatchery. Each year, Khanh Hoa province supplies around 300 million shrimp post larvae for the Vietnamese shrimp farming industry, of which the production from Thuy Trieu lagoon represents one third. Commercial shrimp farming is a very important economic activity in the area, although it is reported to be declining now (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.
Eames, J. C. and Tordoff, A. W. (in prep.) Recent records and a conservation status review of some threatened and near-threatened bird species in Vietnam.
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