Support community protection of aquatic submersion vegetation habitats and of conservation of endangered seagrass and fish species in coastal Tam Giang lagoon in central Vietnam

Project seeks to protect the coastal-lagoon submersion vegetation habitats and associated endangered seagrass (Halophila beccarii) and fish species listed in the IUCN redlist: Albula vulpes; Bostrichthys sinensis; Clupanodon thrissa; Megalops cyprinoides; and Anguilla bicolor Specific objectives are:

• Improve the community Fishery Protected Areas (FPA) management and operation to protect effectively of aquatic submersion vegetation in 3 established FPAs
• Strengthen community capacity and local stakeholder engagement for conservation of the lagoon endangered fish and seagrass species
• Arrange and conduct participatory monitoring and evaluation (PM&E) of the lagoon submersion vegetation protection and of fish and seagrass species

Project provides training to 120 conservation actors then facilitates them to work in grounds in 3 selected FPAs as follows:

• Improve FPA management: Training is organized to improve their FPA activity plan followed by field actions such as patrol, conservation organization
• Build capacity on conservation: Participants are involved to develop “common practices for fish species conservation” and “common practice for habitat conservation” to be undertaken in their daily activities.
• Operate participatory monitoring and evaluation (PM&E): This include training on PM&E followed by operating logbook and field PM&E led by communities
• 3 Workshops to improve stakeholder engagement and policy