Page 89 - Agricultural innovation

Figure 24. Area of lagon of Tam Giang–Cau Hai
Source: Thua Thien Hue Newspaper

aquatic resources in the world, but it is very new in Vietnam, in line with view of giving autonomy to
the community, creating a new relationship between the state, the community and the private sector
in rural management. With shared resources, the participation of the community in management
together with the state is necessary to ensure environmental sustainability, livelihoods as well as local
socio-economic development.
In a specific area such as Tam Giang–Cau Hai lagoon, the project identifies indigenous communities
with their long-standing skills, knowledge and experience in exploiting lagoon resources as the main
assets. It is the most valuable tool for organizing the community, promoting the community’s self-
management ability and implementing the co-management mechanism between the community
and the local government. The project’s approach has shown that promoting the internal resources of
people and communities is not only about material things, but more valuable skills, understanding of
the environment, nature, production and organization of the people. Settlement that the Resolution of
Agriculture, Rural Area and Farmer and the National Target Program on building new rural areas are
considered as the key points of the rural development perspective.
Up to now, there have been more than 7,000 members, gathered in 85 official grassroots Fisheries
Associations, which have developed widely in communes, in five coastal districts, in both lagoon
and marine fisheries with different types of fishery (caught or farmed), different scope (inter-village,
intra-village…). In addition, all the supported associations were established with the initiative of local
fishermen and commune authorities with their own way and management.
This development has recognized a fisherman organization system that has formed in Thua Thien
Hue with an increasingly large scale, democratic form of organization, self-financed, the State does not
subsidize in terms of budget.
The organization of the system of grassroots Fisheries Associations in Thua Thien Hue is different
from the Fisheries Associations of neighboring provinces. The local Fisheries Association can be
granted a license/right to fish in a certain water body, which can be considered as a “red card–land use

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