International praise for the way to preserve and develop the ecosystem of Cu Lao Cham

Cu Lao Cham recognized as World Biosphere Reserve

Cu Lao Cham, located in Tan Hiep commune, Hoi An city ( Quang Nam ), is also known by other names such as Chiem Bat Lao, Tiem Bich La, Pa-lau-cham. Located about 15km from Cua Dai beach, Cu Lao Cham is about 15km2 wide with more than 2,900 people living. With 8 small islands, Cu Lao Cham is favored by nature with a cool climate all year round, trees covering the islands all year round. With 1,549ha of natural forest and 6,716ha of water surface, Cu Lao Cham has extremely rich biodiversity.

In addition to a rich ecosystem, Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area also contains ancient cultural systems (such as Sa Huynh, Champa, Dai Viet), along with relics that have proven the exchange relationship between Cu Lao Cham and countries in the region and is an anchorage point for international merchant ships on the Silk Road journey at sea. Through archaeological studies, it has been shown that over 3,000 years ago, this place was also home to ancient residents. This is truly an ideal place to explore .

Cu Lao Cham still preserves quite a lot of traditional cultural and religious institutions of the villages in the Central region of our country. The religious relics that still exist in Cu Lao Cham were mainly built around the 17th - 18th centuries such as: Dai Can communal house, Thanh Hoang temple, Tien Hien temple, Than Nong temple, Yen To temple, Ong Ngu tomb, Co tomb, Xom Cam well, Hai Tang pagoda... are attractive spiritual tourist destinations for visitors.

Thanks to these factors, the Cu Lao Cham - Hoi An World Biosphere Reserve was recognized by the International Coordinating Committee of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme on May 26, 2009, for its unique, characteristic and unique values ​​in the current system of 11 world biosphere reserves in Vietnam.

According to UNESCO, the Cu Lao Cham - Hoi An World Biosphere Reserve is a typical and clear example of the connection and harmony between nature and humans, true to the mission and name of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) Committee.

The typical and outstanding values ​​are: Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area established in 2006 under the System of National Protected Areas; Hoi An Ancient Town - UNESCO Cultural Heritage recognized in 1999; mangrove forests characterized by the Nipa palm forest ecosystem in the Thu Bon estuary; special-use forests on Cu Lao Cham Island; coastal protection forest system; traditional craft villages with outstanding values ​​of tangible and intangible culture associated with the land and people of Hoi An through many historical periods.

Government and people join hands to protect coral reefs

According to Mr. Nguyen The Hung - Vice Chairman of Hoi An City People's Committee, Head of the Management Board of Cu Lao Cham World Biosphere Reserve, after 15 years, from a poor Tan Hiep island commune, lacking in all aspects from infrastructure, uncontrolled exploitation of forest and marine resources, waste everywhere on the island and every year the island commune had to receive relief goods at the end of the year, up to now, Cu Lao Cham has transformed completely, not only successfully escaping poverty but also rising to lead the province in terms of income; environmental protection and biodiversity have achieved many achievements and become a shining gem in the journey of tourists from all over the world.

Expert James Borton (top row, 3rd from left) made a documentary about Cu Lao Cham.

According to the Hong Kong SCMP newspaper, Cu Lao Cham Island has 277 species of coral, 250 species of fish, crustaceans and 97 types of mollusks living around the island. The miracle of island conservation is possible thanks to the participation of local people - who have cleaned up plastic pollution and seriously implemented fishing activities on the island.

“It is not easy to get fishermen to agree to stop fishing in the reef and accept sustainable fishing areas,” environmental scientist Le Ngoc Thao, director of the Marine Protected Area (MPA) on Cu Lao Cham Island, told SCMP, a Hong Kong daily newspaper. “We have to convince people that they can earn much better if they take tourists diving to see a pristine reef teeming with fish.” Thanks to the cooperation between the locals and the local government, who agreed to use their boats to transport tourists, the MPA can protect the reefs, which are facing the global threat of warming waters.

To safely and effectively clean the seabed to protect the coral reefs of Cu Lao Cham, the Management Board of Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area has selected volunteers from the marine conservation force who are in good health and good at swimming to work for many days. Accordingly, the volunteers will clean the coral reefs in the areas of Bai Tra, Bai Nan, Bai Xep and Bai Bac.

Marine conservation forces, together with islanders and businesses, collect broken nets, fishing lines, sacks, and waste sunk to the bottom of the sea where corals live, and also catch crown-of-thorns starfish, a natural enemy that is harmful to coral reefs in the Cu Lao Cham coral conservation area.

British filmmaker Tom Fawthrop calls it a “conservation miracle” by the locals. The natural ecosystem is still preserved thanks to the cooperation of the locals. They clean the sea, avoid plastic pollution and do not overfish in the waters around the island.

An activity to check coral reefs in Cu Lao Cham World Biosphere Reserve. (Photo: handout)

Mr. James Borton, Senior Expert of the School of International Studies, John Hopkins University, USA, also made a documentary about his deepest impressions of the gentle people in Cu Lao Cham. “The first time I came to Cu Lao Cham, I knew this was a truly special place, because of the extremely beautiful scenery and carefully protected coral reefs. The people here are also very friendly and welcoming to tourists. I have had the idea to make this film for a few years now. In my opinion, the world needs to protect coral reefs more, we need to have sanctuaries under the sea. The people in Cu Lao Cham are doing extremely impressive things in protecting the sea. That is also the reason why I researched and wanted to introduce the very successful model in Cu Lao Cham”, he shared.

Along with cleaning, the Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area Management Board also implemented a program to measure the marine ecosystem and assess vegetation to propose specific solutions to protect coral reefs...

According to SCMP, this is also the only place in Vietnam that has been plastic-free and has implemented a “3R” (reduce, reuse and recycle) program since 2011, as well as a decades-long fight against overfishing. Strict regulations were put in place to prevent overfishing of land crabs on the island – a pillar of the island’s ecosystem, where crab numbers have increased by 75%. Then, to deal with overtourism, local authorities introduced regulations limiting the number of visitors to around 3,000 per day. Gradually, the conservation efforts and moderate approach to tourism have paid off.

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/quoc-te-ca-ngoi-cach-bao-ton-va-phat-trien-he-sinh-thai-cu-lao-cham-post530569.html