THE ROLE OF TRADITIONAL FISHERMEN COMMUNITIES AND RELATED CHANGES IN NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OF THE TAM GIANG LAGOON, VIETNAM

Abstract

This paper clarifies the role of traditional fishermen communities and related changes in natural resource management of the Tam Giang Lagoon. The results of this study show that the “Van”, a traditional community of fishermen, was organized based on geographical closeness, and kinships sharing common experiences of fishing in the Tam Giang Lagoon. The “Van” were self-adjusted, its members able to manage and exploit the fisheries resources of the lagoon. Since resource management has always been associated with the “Van” communities, the government has since come to rely on the “Van” as a nucleus with which to manage the lagoon.   The “Doi Moi”, an open-door policy initiated by the Vietnamese Government in 1986 has been fueling rapid changes in the rural society of Vietnam. The most significant change in natural resource management was the establishment of Land Law 1993 which allowed the allocation of lands to households. Consequently, resources which were previously shared by the communities around the lagoon have been changing to household ownership. This increase in private ownership has reduced the common fishing ground of the Sampan people and thus narrowed their access to the natural resources on which they based their livelihood. This is one of the major reasons behind the marginalization of the Sampan people, who have sacrificed their position of being the greatest beneficiaries of the lagoon’s resources, to being the poorest.