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  VietNamNet 19 Jul 06
Death of the Ha Long corals

Most coral reefs in Ha Long Bay are dead according to Dr. Dam Duc Tien from the Institute for Sea Natural Resources and Environment.

Scientists are flabbergasted about the results of a survey conducted a week ago, which shows the serious recession of coral reefs in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Province, a world natural heritage site.

"It is very sad to talk about the survey of coral reefs in Ha Long Bay. The coral is all dead," said Dr. Dam Duc Tien. According to Dr. Nguyen Huy Yet from the Vietnam Natural Museum, wherever there is seaweed, there coral can't live. On the hard stone base at the bottom of the sea, coral and seaweed fight each other to live and develop.

The death of coral means the serious regression of resources of water creatures in Ha Long Bay and surrounding areas. It also means the lost of natural protection against storms and tsunamis.

Recent surveys of aquatic resources in Ha Long Bay and the surrounding areas reveal the absence of common aquatic animals like the butterfly fish, grouper and dorab, and that litmus test--the snail--is also missing.

According to the Ministry of Fisheries, fishing boat catches in this area have fallen from 1.1 tonnes/ horsepower in 1985, to 0.45 tonnes/horsepower in 2000.

In 2000 Dr. Yet surveyed corals off the Co To Peninsula, 30km from Quang Ninh, which includes around 15 small and three large Islands.

"At that time I saw coral developing well and many coral reefs had coverage of 50%," he said. In 1985, there was a wide coverage of coral in Ha Long Bay. In 1998, coral reefs had deteriorated by one third compared to 1985, and the survey in mid-June 2006 revealed no live coral in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long bay.

Many tourists on the Bai Chay beach in Ha Long City have complained that the water here is more opaque, and their skin itches after swimming.

Meanwhile, Ha Long Bay is one of the three sites considered to be 'well managed', along with Cat Ba and Con Dao islands.

Vietnam joins the growing list of countries in Asia that have threatened coral reefs, including the Philippines, China, Taiwan, and Indonesia.

According to scientists, up to nine tenths of more than 1,000sq.km of coral reef in Vietnam is in serious regression, while pollution is becoming dangerous and aquatic resources are exhausted.
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