Sunday, July 11, 2010

Viet Nam: Ca Mau mangrove forests destroyed to catch fish

Fisherman at work in Ca Mau Province, where mangrove forests are being chopped down at night

Mangrove forests along the East Sea in Ca Mau Province, already depleted severely over the last few decades, are suffering further destruction as people clear them to catch fish and other marine creatures.

The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has said the logging of mangrove forests would destroy natural seafood resources.

It also said that it was difficult to prevent the logging because the area was large and the deforestation was done at night.

The department is inadequately staffed, not having enough people even to remove poles or nets people have set up in the area, it said, noting that when they managed to clear these from one place, more would spring up in another.

The loss of mangrove forests is particularly serious as they prevent flooding and mitigate the impacts of storms.