Only 1% Of Vietnam’s Coral Reefs Are Healthy; Is Unsustainable Tourism To Blame?

Off the coast of Nha Trang in central Vietnam, a hidden environmental disaster unfolds beneath the gentle waves. The once-thriving coral reefs are dying, with only one per cent of Vietnam’s reefs remaining healthy, according to the World Resources Institute. For fishermen, the transformation has been stark. After two decades of successful fishing, they now charter their boat to tourists because commercial fishing is no longer viable. Is unsustainable tourism to blame for all this?

Only 1% Of Vietnam’s Coral Reefs Are Healthy

Where the fishermen once caught 70 kilogrammes of tuna and grouper in a night, they now return empty-handed, with only squid. They flourish in warming waters available in abundance. Southeast Asia houses over a third of the world’s coral reefs as part of the biodiverse ‘Coral Triangle.’

However, these underwater ecosystems face multiple threats. Climate change causes frequent bleaching events as warmer, more acidic waters force corals to expel their life-sustaining algae. Without sufficient recovery time between events, the reefs deteriorate rapidly.

Local pressures compound these global challenges. Vietnam’s economic boom has led to coastal development that sends harmful sediment into marine habitats. Agricultural runoff, sewage and aquaculture trigger algal blooms that block vital sunlight.

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Cumulative Effects Of Overfishing And Other Local Pressures

Overfishing has disrupted the ecological balance, culminating in a devastating outbreak of predatory starfish that destroyed nearly 90 per cent of surviving reefs by 2019. The consequences extend beyond ecology to economics.

Vietnam’s tourism industry, which aims to generate $42 billion and attract 23 million international visitors by 2025, relies heavily on its natural beauty. Despite establishing protected marine areas and implementing coral nursery projects, enforcement remains problematic.

Divers regularly find glass bottles, fishing lines and plastic waste suffocating the reefs. Experts suggest more comprehensive solutions. Creating additional marine parks with strict enforcement would be impactful. In addition to this, obligating tourism operators to restore coastal vegetation, replenishing degraded reefs, and implementing tighter fishing regulations would also be helpful.

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Without such measures, the future looks bleak for these once-vibrant underwater ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

Cover Image Credits: Canva Pro Images

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