Tra Vinh (VNA) - Households in the Mekong Delta province of TraVinh have been planting protective forests in coastal areas to prevent erosionand earn a living for a number of years.

Nguyen Vu Phuong, head of the province’s Forest Protection Sub-department, saidthe coastal districts of Cau Ngang, Chau Thanh and Duyen Hai and Duyen Hai townhad planted 625ha of new protective forests since 2015.

The province now has more than 9,200ha of protective forests, mostly mangroveforests in coastal areas. The forests help prevent strong winds and waves,protect coastal areas from erosion, and provide livelihoods for localhouseholds.

Of the 9,200ha, about 4,000ha mangrove forests are planted by households whobreed black tiger shrimp under extensive farming methods and other aquaticspecies in forests. The shrimp – forest farming model is sustainable andprotects the environment.

According to Tran Thanh Nhan, Deputy Director of the Tra Vinh Protective ForestManagement Board, households planting mangrove forests spend less investmentcapital and reduce the risks associated with shrimp cultivation caused byweather, environment and disease.

The shrimp – forest farming model suits households that do not have enoughmoney to invest in intensive and super intensive shrimp breeding methods.

The model produces biological shrimp, which are preferred by consumers at homeand abroad.

The price of shrimp bred under the model is 15 – 20 percent higher than shrimpfarmed under intensive and super-intensive shrimp breeding methods.

Huynh Van Phong has a 4ha area in Duyen Hai town’s Hiep Thanh commune where hebreeds about 50,000 black tiger shrimp and 6,000 mud crabs in the forest area ayear. He only buys shrimp and mud crab fry, and does not need to buy foodbecause they eat the natural food in the mangrove forest.

He earns an average income of 200million VND (8,600 USD) a year from breedingshrimp and mud crabs.

Phong also breeds other aquatic species like mud clams and blood cockles in themangrove forest, earning dozens of millions of dong a year.

Phuong, head of the province’s Forest Protection Sub-department, said theprovince allocated 5,127ha of protective forests to 4,241 households and fiveorganisations.

“The allocation of forests for households has enhanced awareness about forestprotection in the community and reduced violations of forest protectionregulations,” he said.

Besides offering financial support for protecting forests, the province hasprovided funds to forest-protection households to breed aquatic species inmangrove forests.

The breeding of aquatic species offers an income of 40 - 50 million VND (1,700– 2,150 USD) per hectare a year, according to forest – protection households.

Tra Vinh has a coastline of 65 kilometres./.