Research on the establishment of Ha Long Bay Marine Protected Area

Trong Cave area, Ha Long Bay. Photo: Nguyen Hung

Previously, in Decision No. 389/QD-TTg dated May 9, 2024 of the Prime Minister, approving the Planning for the protection and exploitation of aquatic resources for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, a part of the core zone of the World Natural Heritage Ha Long Bay was planned as a National Marine Protected Area.

The establishment of Ha Long Bay Marine Protected Area is not only one of the solutions to contribute to preserving the integrity of the elements that make up the value of the Heritage, but also an effective solution to promote the outstanding values of the Heritage.

At the recent consultation workshop on this issue, managers, experts and scientists discussed the legal basis, management model and necessary factors for the establishment of Ha Long Bay Marine Protected Area; proposed feasible, effective and practical solutions to harmonize the management, conservation and promotion goals of outstanding global values, the goal of nature conservation and biodiversity with the strategy of developing a blue marine economy .

According to the Professional - Research Department, Ha Long Bay Management Board, the biological world in Ha Long Bay is very diverse and rich, with a full concentration of terrestrial, aquatic, low-level and high-level species living together in 10 different marine and forest ecosystems.

Coral in Ha Long Bay. Photo: Ha Long Bay Management Board

Coral in Ha Long Bay. Photo: Ha Long Bay Management Board

Up to now, nearly 3,000 species of flora and fauna have been recorded living in the area, including 507 species of terrestrial plants, 278 species of phytoplankton, 141 species of zooplankton, 110 species of coral, 156 species of marine fish, 71 species of birds, 53 species of mammals...

The diversity of terrestrial and aquatic species has shown the biodiversity picture of Ha Long Bay, making Ha Long Bay the area with the largest number of known species in Vietnam.

In addition, Ha Long Bay is also diverse in genetic resources. Many species living in Ha Long Bay have endemic, rare, medicinal or high economic value genetic resources. Currently, scientists have identified 102 species that are threatened at different levels (64 animal species and 38 plant species).

Some groups of organisms are small in number but most of them carry endemic genes of Ha Long Bay, typical of which are: Ha Long cave carp, Ha Long cave crab, Alpheoid shrimp, long-legged centipede... and 17 endemic plant species have been announced.

In addition, some other genetic resources are natural medicinal resources, with a preliminary estimate of about 357 species of plants and nearly 100 animals that can be used as medicine. Some genetic resources have high economic value, are specialties for food and handicraft export such as: abalone, snail, snail, jumping snail, clam, geoduck, shrimp, crab, sea cucumber, pearl oyster,...

Source: https://laodong.vn/xa-hoi/nghien-cuu-thanh-lap-khu-bao-ton-bien-vinh-ha-long-1556723.ldo