Community-based mangroves conservation and crab bank model in Lang Co Lagoon, Thua Thien Hue Province

Objectives

• Enhancing Community’s capacity in development, protection and use of mangroves resources in Lang Co Lagoon

• Establishing pilot mangroves-based crab bank by the community

Background

• Lap An Lagoon in Lang Co Town, Thua Thien Hue province, has been rich of coastal wetland resources and mangroves. Some decades ago there was a large area of mangrove in the western lagoon which connected to the inter-tidal area of approximately 100 ha. During the 1990s the mangroves was diverse including 18 species.

• Due to poor management and increasing needs area of mangroves has been reduced. In 2010 there was only 5 ha remained with poor composition. The mangroves are in danger of being destroyed. The concern is not only because of degradation of mangroves and associated biological values but also strategy to put the conservation into practice. There have been quite lots of studies and planning activities carried in the region.

• Despite the efforts of different organizations, the wetland conservation in Thua Thien Hue has been facing many difficulties.

Target beneficiaries

More than 2000 labors in An Dong 1 Hamlet and An Dong 2 Hamlet

Outputs

• 1 ha mangroves replanted with 80% growth rate monitored

• Another mangroves nursery in progress for replantation to be conducted in early Feb 2015

• 6 patrol by FA to mangroves: 1 violation (outside allocated mangroves area) discovered and being investigated

• Mangroves based crab bank model being conducted in two sites with 15000 crab seeds

• Regulations on gravid crabs on crab bank developed and adopted

• About 4,000 gravid crabs have been kept for crab bank purpose before being sold

• A technical report documenting the project results on community-based mangroves management and crab bank initiative has been published by Agriculture Publishing House

Contributions to cross-cutting themes

• Gender equality

• Sustainable livelihoods

• Capacity development