VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Long Bay, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Viet Nam’s top tourist draws, is suffering extensive violations that threaten to destroy its famed natural beauty, the Tien Phong Newspaper (Vanguard) reported.

The Sung Sot or Surprise Grotto in Ha Long Bay. For decades the stalactites that lined the roofs of the limestone caves – which took thousands of years to form – have been haphazardly sawed off and sold as decorations in non bộ gardens (miniature landscapes) or in aquariums. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Duc

Electrocuted to death

On a 10-minute boat ride from the Ha Long fish market to the bay, dozens of boats can be spotted fishing by electrocution – a dangerous method categorically prohibited.

Local fishermen who adhere to the traditional fishing method provide a helpful tip to easily identify those electro-fishing – a bundle of cords and ropes hanging from the stern into the water. In addition, the boat moves slowly and drags a huge net to collect the electrocuted fish.

“From Ha Long to Cam Pha City, there are a few thousand boats outfitted with inverters that constantly roam the waters,” Dang Van Mau, a local fisherman, said.

In the bay area, an electro-fishing boat can be seen every few hundred metres, causing a depletion of natural resources that is increasingly evident.

“An electric output of 1,500-2,000 watts shoots through the waters, sparing almost no sea creatures within its 20m radius, babies or mature fish, prawns or microorganisms. They are really exhausting the ocean’s resources, and all we traditional fishermen can do is just sit idly by and watch the sea dying,” Nguyen Van Chien said.

Concerned traditional fishermen have filed numerous reports, and authorities have conducted inspections and administered penalties to violators, but the sheer number of such fishermen makes the task daunting.

“With dwindling seafood resources, catches using traditional nets amount to just one fifth compared to previous times, so more are resorting to utilise electro-fishing to catch hundreds of kilograms of fish without much effort,” a local fisherman said. The difficulty is compounded by the fact that most fishing boats operate in Ha Long Bay without a licence number affixed to their side as legally required.

Local residents say some fishermen even go so far as to use dynamite to catch fish.

“It’s winter so it’s no longer as common as in warmer weather, but the strangest thing is that no one got punished,” a fisherman from Cua Van Village, said.

Pham Dinh Huynh, Deputy Director of Ha Long Bay Management Board, said local enforcement has discovered and handled 34 violations, collecting fines of VND108 million (US$4,400) in the last few years.

According to a 2013 Government decree, electro-fishing is fined by VND2-5 million ($89-221), while for dynamite fishing, the penalty can reach VND10-20 million ($440-880).

Local fishermen allegedly said that they’d rather pay the small fines than stop this lucrative fishing medthod.

Caves in ruins

For decades now, the stalactites that lined the roofs of the limestone caves – which took thousands of years to form – have been haphazardly sawed off and sold as decorations in non bo gardens (miniature landscapes) or in aquariums.

“This exploitation of stalactites is quite alarming in the area under our cooperative’s jurisdiction. The thieves even pried open the iron barriers erected in front of the cave’s mouth to get inside. Some caves were beautiful before with fascinating stalactites, but now all barren,” Vu Van Hung, deputy manager of the Ha Long Fishing Village Cooperative, said.

In the Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay area, a number of caves were regarded as valuable tourist attractions for their beauty and curious stalactite structure and have been put under constant surveillance. On the other hand, the majority are more obscure, located on steep and rugged cliffs.

“Previously, the stalactites were cut off to use in households only. In recent years however, some ask the locals to steal these stones and are willing to buy them at a high price. The small ones can sell for a few million dong, while the large-sized and beautiful, sparkling ones can easily fetch 100 million dong,” Nguyen Hơn, fisherman in Hung Thang Ward, Ha Long City, told the  Tien Phong reporter.

In caves like Trinh Nu (Virgin), Trong (Rooster), Tien Ong (Fairy), the walls are defaced with indelible Chinese and Vietnamese letters left behind by ill-mannered tourists.

“These caves used to be shelters for fishermen during storms. Some stalactites were indeed taken away. It stopped when the caves were designated tourist sites. Its floors were cemented to turn them into fancy restaurants," Nguyen Van Thanh, a senior fisherman, said.

The cave-restaurants drew the ire of the public and have since been suspended.

Fifteen metres into Cap La Cave – a hot spot of stalactite theft - most stalactites are reportedly cut in half, with the cuts looking quite fresh. Some stalactites lye scattered on the ground, covered in traces of dust from the sawing off process.

However, Pham Dinh Huynh has categorically denied the reports, “There’s absolutely no exploitation of stalactites going on in the caves within the World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay, as reported by the media,”

He also added that stalactites fall off naturally, "part of the geological formation processes that have been ongoing for millions of years."

VNS

Hoang Duong