Dong Nai province focuses on protecting aquatic resources

​(News Portal – Dong Nai) – Dong Nai province has the advantage of developing fishing and aquaculture with a dense river system including: Dong Nai river, La Nga river and Thi Vai river with an area of nearly 70 thousand hectares. The entire province also has 18 irrigation reservoirs and over 60 large and small rivers and canals that are convenient for aquaculture, creating a diversity of ecosystems and aquatic resources. 

Dong Nai Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Provincial Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha releasing fishes on the Dong Nai River 

To protect and develop a sustainable fisheries industry, the province focuses on implementing multiple solutions to protect aquatic resources as well as develop a sustainable aquaculture industry.

Contribute to restoring aquatic resources

Due to the impact of nature and humans through destructive exploitation of aquatic products such as using electric pulses, poisons, and prohibited fishing gear for exploitation, aquatic resources in natural water bodies in the province are increasingly plummeted in both species composition and output. Among them, a number of fish species have been lost, and some species are at risk of extinction in natural water bodies.

Over the years, Dong Nai province has always focused on releasing fish to protect aquatic resources. The province especially launched the movement "All people participate in protecting and regenerating aquatic resources, joining hands to release aquatic breeds into natural water bodies". The goal is to contribute to the restoration of aquatic resources and biodiversity in the Dong Nai river system. This movement attracts attention and coordination between departments, sectors, People's Committees at all levels, mass mobilization agencies, fronts, unions, professions, and socio-politic organizations on protection, recovery and developing aquatic resources in the province.

In particular, the Dong Nai Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of Dong Nai province have regularly held ceremonies to release millions of breeds, which helps aquatic resources recover in the natural waters of the Dong Nai River, Tri An lake, Long Thanh - Nhon Trach mangrove forest... In addition, the program also distributed hundreds of handbooks guiding the release of aquatic species to monks, nuns, Buddhists and people.

The released aquatic species are all native aquatic species, species with scientific and economic value such as giant freshwater prawns, snakehead fish, damselfish fish, goby fish, beaded tilapia fish, Asian redtail catfish... With a large and diverse source of fish like this, it will help Dong Nai's diverse aquatic resources continue to be maintained.

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Lam Sinh, in recent times, fisheries activities have been directly affected by the natural environment and the effects of climate change, causing aquatic resources to decline. The reason is the increasing mining pressure; resource quality, especially species with rapidly declining economic value; aquatic species composition is seriously affected with many fish species that were previously common in the Dong Nai river basin are now harder to find. One of the major causes is unreasonable exploitation and fishing activities that disrupt the natural balance of species, especially the use of electric pulses and toxins; prohibited fishing gears for aquatic exploitation are increasingly complicated. “To protect aquatic resources, in addition to the efforts of authorities at all levels, the protection and development of aquatic resources requires the cooperation of the people. Because in reality, protecting, regenerating, and developing aquatic resources is to help people ensure their livelihoods and sustainable economic development through their specific actions.

Protect aquatic resources

For many years, the situation of fishing and exploiting in a way that destroys aquatic resources in Dong Nai area, especially on Tri An lake, is very alarming because this is the cause of destroying many aquatic species and biodiversity.

Dong Nai bans fishing occupations and gears that are harmful and destroy aquatic resources and aquatic ecosystems... In October 2023, the province organized 3 inspections on the use of explosives, electric shocks, toxic substances, prohibited fishing gears and tools to exploit aquatic products in the Dong Nai river area, Tri An lake and Long Thanh - Nhon Trach mangrove forests. The inspection uncovered and prosecuted 5 cases of violation with a total administrative fine of 100 million VND and confiscation of related evidence.

The province also has many policies to support fishermen in changing jobs according to Circular 19/2018/TT-Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to encourage fishermen working in banned occupations to gradually find ways stabilize their lives, ensuring sustainable livelihoods and economic benefits for fishermen.

The Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is very interested in coordinating with localities to propagate and inform fishermen about policies to support fishermen in changing careers, and at the same time advise the Provincial People's Committee to issue Decisions approving the list of policies and budget to support fishermen in ending prohibited fishing practices and gear in the districts. ​