Thousands of fish species were released into the sea on Monday in the central province of Khanh Hoa. Some 6,300 fish, snail and anemone species were returned to the ocean at Hon Mun Island, considered as the core zone of the Nha Trang Bay Marine Protection Area.
The majority of released species were produced by the Nha Trang Oceanography Institute through asexual reproduction methods.
According to Vietnam News Agency, marine protection areas are now popular almost everywhere. There are 65 MPAs in Southeast Asia and nearly 2,000 around the world. But Hon Mun is the first in Vietnam.
Established in June 2001, the area covers Nha Trang’s nine islands, of which Hon Mun, Hon Rom, Hon Noc, Hon Vung and Hon Cau receive the most protection in the zone.
A four-year US$2 million pilot project to develop the Hon Mun MPA site was then paid for by the Vietnamese government, the World Conservation Union, the World Bank’s Global Environment Facility and the Danish International Development Agency.
The project helped preserve the coral reefs and promote sustainable tourism and livelihoods for local people.
There are around 5,100 people living inside the Hon Mun area.