3rd negotiation meeting of co-management group in Cu Lao Dung

Time: 9:00 – 11:30 Date: 21.12.2012 

Place: An Thanh Nam Commune People’s Committee, Cu Lao Dung District

The meeting started with Mr. Thach Son and Mr. Thach Vinh reporting about the last meetings with local people of two sub-groups. Participants were reminded that these problems would be solved gradually together through discussing on the regulations. 

Participants started setting up the regulation of the mangrove co-management group in Vo Thanh Van village referred to the Au Tho B co-management group’s regulation. Three main aspects of the regulation were discussed: (1) Objectives, (2) Scope of Application (where and to whom this regulation applies) and (3) Zonation. These were formulated as following:

Chapter 1 – Objectives

Article 1. These regulations aim to strengthen cooperation between Vo Thanh Van resource users, local authorities and other related organisations in order to protect the forest and sustainably use natural resources of the Vo Thanh Van coastal area for the benefits of the local people.

Chapter 2 – Scope of Application (where and to whom this regulation applies)

Article 2. These regulations apply to the existing and proposed mangrove forest areas (500 m into the mudflat area) which are contiguous to the area of Vo Thanh Van village, An Thanh Nam commune. The area is bounded to the southwest by Vam Ho village, and to the northeast by An Quoi village, An Thanh 3 commune.

Article 3. Natural resources mentioned in this regulation include animals, plants and aquatic resources which are extracted from the mangrove forest, the mudflats, and the sea in the area of Vo Thanh Van village. 

Article 4. Members of the co-management group, visitors from outside and Vo Thanh Van village community shall comply with this regulation.

Next, the concept of zonation was explained again with recommendation that normally at least 15 – 20% of the area should be reserved as protection area. After considering and discussing among participants, it was suggested the area would be divided into two zones: (1) the protection zone and (2) the sustainably use zone. The protection zone was identified as the area between sluice gate 4 and sluice gate 5 (which accounts for approximately 40% of the co-management group’s area); and the rest was the sustainably use zone (see in the following map). 

For the protection zone: 

- Prohibited: People without authorised permission to enter this zone as well as other activities.

- Permitted: Patrolling (with authorised permission) from time to time, ensuring no illegal activities occur.

For the sustainably use zone, these things are prohibited: 

- Non-members of the co-management group to enter.

- Activities that cause damage to plants and trees such as chopping or digging.

- The use of chemicals and electric fishing devices.

It was aware that those discussed above would be only as a preliminary draft and thus can be modified after consultation with local resource users at their sub-group meetings later.