Restrict tourism to protect nature.
This is the choice that Vietnam has just made by banning bathing on the island of Hon Mun.
A way to revive the coral reef badly damaged in places.
The tourist island located off the city of Nha Trang (southern half of the country) is a popular site for divers due to the diversity of its ecosystem.
Recent photographs taken off the coast have shown bleached and damaged corals.
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“
The Nha Trang Bay Management Authority has decided to halt swimming and
scuba diving activities
in areas around Hon Mun Island
” until further notice, officials said. authorities.
In a statement, they said the ban was to "
evaluate the condition of the sensitive area so that an appropriate plan can be developed
" to save the corals.
According to state media, around 60% of the area's coastal bottom was covered in live coral in 2020. That figure has dropped to less than 50% today.
Authorities say powerful storms in 2019 and 2021 may have damaged corals, but illegal fishing, dredging, littering and construction activities are also blamed.
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angry divers
The coral reef that surrounds the island shows signs of deterioration.
QUANG DUC / AFP
Divers have expressed anger over the decision.
"
Swimming and diving activities had the least influence on coral reefs, compared to other activities
," said diver Nguyen Son from Ho Chi Minh City.
"
Without any sense of responsibility, the fishing boats came and destroyed the seabed
," said diver Trinh Ngoc Sang, for whom rebuilding the corals will take decades.
Globally, corals are home to around 25% of marine biodiversity.
The communist nation benefits from 320 km of coastline with crystal clear waters, a very rich marine fauna and flora and fine sandy beaches.
Coral reefs across Southeast Asia have been hit hard by global warming, with scientists warning their degradation could have devastating economic and environmental repercussions.
Vietnam's decision follows a similar measure taken in Thailand, which for many months restricted access to the famous Maya Bay beach, immortalized in the film
The Beach
with Leo DiCaprio, in order to give the local ecosystem a chance to recover.
