People who are wholeheartedly devoted to the sea.

The students enjoyed visiting and creating their own products from seashells at Thien Dinh Cafe.

We arrived at Ha Loc fishing village in Tam Tien commune at the invitation of the Marine Conservation and Community Development Research Center (MCD) under the sweltering August sun. But upon arrival, our stress and fatigue vanished in the cool, green surroundings, highlighted by vibrant red, white, and pink bougainvillea vines, along with rows of green coconut trees and rustling casuarina trees in the sea breeze. We were greeted by a young man with a tanned complexion, bareheaded, barefoot, and a radiant smile. He is Vo Hong Ron, born in 1992, the initiator of a community-based tourism model that has been yielding positive results.

Talking to Ron, I learned that after many years working odd jobs in Vung Tau, in 2019 he returned to his hometown to invest with friends in building a boat for coastal fishing. However, seeing that marine resources were increasingly depleted due to indiscriminate exploitation by humans, he decided to abandon fishing and switch to tourism.

Ron skillfully utilized and promoted local cultural values ​​and natural advantages such as the Tam Tien fish market, the picturesque beach, and the friendly, hospitable people with their coastal village culture to develop tourism. However, Ron didn't work alone; he helped the local people. Besides his first establishment – ​​"Blue Whale" – Ron encouraged villagers to renovate and repair unused houses into homestays for guests. Currently, Ron manages and operates five such homestays, sharing the profits equally with the villagers.

Speaking of Ron, the locals all have a friendly affection for him. Tran Van Sau, a local fisherman, said: “In Tam Tien, Ron is a very reputable person. If he discovers fishermen catching mother lobsters with eggs or finding sea turtles caught in their nets, he buys them back to release them into the wild. He regularly organizes beach cleanup activities and encourages people to work together to protect the environment. Guests on Ron's paddleboard cleanup tour get to experience this service for free. Everyone here trusts and loves Ron.”

Visiting the simple, rustic homestays in the fishing village was incredibly interesting. The doors of the houses and the simple swing chairs were repurposed from the wreck of a trawler; the fences, made of bamboo and rope washed ashore from the sea, were adorned with small, colorful bird cages and even a model ship built from pallet wood.

Pointing to the house made entirely from recycled waste (packaging wood purchased cheaply from Truong Hai Automobile Company), Mr. Vu Thanh Vien - the owner of these creative models - recounted that the idea originated a long time ago, around 1997, when he was studying in Hanoi and working part-time at Hai Phong port. Seeing many types of pallet wood, packaging wood, etc., he came up with the idea that, if he had the opportunity, he would collect and recycle these types of packaging into useful items. Later, when working with Coca-Cola, Truong Thanh Wood, Khai Vy Wood, and other companies that place great emphasis on recycling and environmental protection, he decided to pursue his dream.

In 2019, Mr. Vien returned to his hometown to establish a woodworking workshop, using only recycled wood and wood from planted forests. His goal was to spread the message of forest conservation through recycling and minimizing wood waste to organizations, tourists, and young people. When advising investors, he always recommends recycled products. Initially, this advice was challenging, but now many organizations are responding positively. His future direction is to build houses, playgrounds, and resorts that do not significantly interfere with nature, prioritizing the use of products made from recycled materials.

We were amazed by one surprise after another as Ron led us to the Heavenly Cafe. Unlike typical cafes, this one displayed many unique products assembled from seashells and conch shells. Mr. Vo Cao Dinh, the owner of the cafe and the creator of these products, happily chatted with us while preparing drinks. Initially, he and his son collected seashells on the beach to protect the marine environment and crafted animal-shaped products for his son to play with. Gradually, he developed a passion for collecting seashells and conch shells without even realizing it. Visitors can enjoy coffee, admire the works of art made from shells and conch shells, and even buy them as gifts for loved ones.

The Thien Dinh Cafe also connects with educational centers, bringing students to visit and create artworks from seashells and snail shells. This activity not only provides a beneficial playground for children, but also educates them about environmental protection, appreciating, being creative, and utilizing discarded materials to create meaningful and valuable products.

All three young men are well-educated, dynamic, and actively seeking ways to return and develop their hometowns… Homestay services, though still in their infancy, are always fully booked; there are cafes offering experiences of marine life; and eco-friendly wooden houses and homestays. The common thread among these models is that they are all spearheaded by young members – the lighthouses of the community – with initiatives to protect over 64 hectares of the Ba Dau coral reef, which has recently been entrusted to the community group for management in accordance with the 2017 Fisheries Law.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Uy, Vice Chairman of the Tam Tien Commune People's Committee and Head of the Community Group's Representative Board, stated that with the support of MCD (Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources), the Ba Dau Reef Community Group (Tam Tien Commune) was established at the end of October 2022. Currently, the group has 42 members with the goal of conserving coral reefs and developing livelihoods for the local fishing community. Over the past period, the group has effectively carried out activities such as raising community awareness about environmental protection and aquatic resource conservation, patrolling and monitoring the assigned sea area, assessing coral reefs, and releasing fish to replenish aquatic resources. In particular, community tourism is a suitable direction that the group is pursuing, both creating additional income for the people and contributing to the preservation of aquatic resources, environmental protection, and maintaining the natural beauty of Ha Loc fishing village in Tam Tien.

Currently, 2-4 groups of foreign tourists from Hoi An visit Tam Tien each week. In this fishing village, visitors not only enjoy fresh seafood and experience sleeping in tents on the beach, but also appreciate the beauty of the fishermen's daily lives, witnessing the fish market in the early morning, the scenes of net casting, trawling, basket weaving, fish sauce making, and dried seafood processing... along with the love and efforts of young people in starting and developing their hometowns. Ms. Nguyen Thu Hue, a tourist from Hanoi who was also on our tour, happily shared: "For me, this is a wonderful place to heal the wounds of urban life."

Nguyen Thi Ai Trinh - Address: 110 Tran Hung Dao Street, Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province

Source: https://baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/nhung-nguoi-het-long-voi-bien-363423.html