Tra Vinh: Over 200 fishermen households are supported to improve the value of farmed shrimp based on the mangrove forest ecosystem (12-02-2019)
After nearly one year of implementation of the project “Replication of Climate Change Adaptation Model based on the Mangrove Forest Ecosystem in the Mekong Delta” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) support, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) of Tra Vinh province has supported more than 200 coastal saltwater fisher households in Duyen Hai district to practice multi-farming of shrimp farming on an area of nearly 1,000 hectares of mangrove forests received organic certificate for export.
At the same time, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tra Vinh province also chose Cuu Long Fisheries Joint Stock Company to be the certified organic shrimp partner. This is a certificate issued to the company, when certified, the company will purchase shrimp from the material area at a price higher than the agreed market price and will support payment for forest environmental services to the people with VND 500,000 / ha / year (if people sell shrimp to the company in sufficient quantity according to the contract).
Reportedly, from the begin of the year 2018, the IUCN supported Tra Vinh province to implement the Project “Scaling up the model of adapting to climate change based on the ecosystem Mangrove forests in the Mekong Delta”, with the aim of piloting a model of mangrove polyculture in Tra Vinh province, one of the localities prone to climate change, thereby, contributing to improving the community's resilience to climate change and other fluctuations. The results are expected to be: (1) Supporting fishermen in mangrove areas in the province to practice multi-cultivation of mangrove forests planting with ecological certification, mainly by providing financial incentives (and support the implementation of environmental regulations) to produce organic shrimp for export; (2) Cooperate with retailers to commit to buy and distribute organic shrimp products, thereby ensuring the market for certified shrimp; at the same time, it will impact international certification organizations to incorporate a target of deforestation to their standards. This will contribute to the sustainability of the project and open up the opportunity to replicate the model, in order to bring retailers interested in trading in this sustainable product; (3) Coordinate with local authorities to introduce a model of multi-cultivation of mangrove forests combine plans and policies as a measure of adaptation to ecosystem-based climate change.
The project will help improve the value of wild shrimp, help mangrove shrimp farmers increase income, contribute to forest protection and development. At the same time, it is also a premise for implementing payment for forest environmental services in Tra Vinh province in the coming time.
Thu Hoan