Live well under the forest canopy
Under the mangrove forest canopy in An Thanh 3 and An Thanh Nam communes (Cu Lao Dung district, Soc Trang province), three-seed, three-seed, three-seed, and three-seed snails are contributing to "resolving difficulties" for people's livelihoods. No longer having to go to sea to make a living unstable, now people know how to take advantage of forest canopy to raise aquatic products in a natural, efficient and sustainable way.
Mr. Lam Van Hon in An Thanh 3 commune said that the model of raising three frog trees under the forest canopy is gradually changing people's lives: "The three frog trees breed well, each egg lays thousands of eggs. Under the forest canopy there is shade, abundant natural food sources so farming is very healthy. Without much investment cost, after 5 - 6 months, they can be harvested and sold at a price of 60,000 - 100,000 VND/kg, if there is salt, it can be up to 150,000 VND/kg".
Mr. Tran Van Duc - Head of the Aquaculture Team under the forest canopy - said that the team has nearly 20 participating households. On average, each member earns about 10 million VND/month from this model. In particular, three saline regions have achieved 3-star OCOP certification, opening a new direction for local agricultural products.
Similarly, Mr. Truong Van Dung in An Thanh 3 commune also boldly gave up the sea travel profession that he has been attached to for 40 years to focus all his efforts on the aquaculture model combined with forestry tourism.
Mr. Dung said that in 2016, he was assigned by the locality to contract 5 hectares of protective forests and participate in training courses on farming techniques, forest protection and law. Combining the knowledge he has learned and practical experience, he has implemented the raising of mops, snakehead snails, goldfish and herring right in the assigned forest area.
"Previously, I worked at sea and had an unstable income. Since living under the forest canopy, my life has been both leisurely and income, and the most important thing is to preserve nature," Mr. Dung shared.
Currently, Mr. Dung is collaborating with neighboring households to build a community tourism cluster, providing a full range of unique experiences for tourists such as: traveling on a bamboo bridge through the forest to see monkeys, watch snakehead fish and rambutan; rowing a boat in the coastal swamp or swimming a boat yourself, participating in exploiting aquatic products in the pond.
Customers coming here not only play but also see how we live with the forest, raise not only to destroy nature but also to preserve and develop, Mr. Dung shared.
Forests encroach on the sea, people settle
According to statistics, Cu Lao Dung district (Soc Trang province) currently has about 1,800 hectares of coastal protection forests and more than 200 hectares of riverside forests. Thanks to the policy of assigning forest contracts to people for proper management, protection and exploitation, many forests are not only maintained but also developed strongly, gradually encroaching on the sea each year, playing an important role in minimizing salinity intrusion and preventing landslides.
"Every year, the forest encroaches a few more meters. Large trees cover the waves and block the wind, and people in the suburbs like us are much more secure, said Mr. Dung.
Mr. Dung said that the mangrove forest ecosystem here still retains the rare wildness: monkeys, storks, butterflies, wild birds and thousands of natural beehives. This is not only a valuable resource but also a foundation for sustainable tourism development, creating a value chain closely linked between people's livelihoods and conservation work.
