Nhon Hai commune, Quy Nhon city, Binh Dinh province is a peninsula location with an abundant resource of coral reef ecosystems which plays an important role in maintaining biological diversity and landscape. However, in the recent years, thorn starfishes, a type of echinoderm living at a depth of 5-20m below sea level and mainly eating corals, has destroyed the coral reefs with their strong increase. Besides, littering, mining black sand (titan), construction, economic and tourism development, livelihood activities and natural disasters have reduced the squares and quality of Nhon Hai beach as well as caused environmental pollution.

Conservation of coral reefs and clean beaches becomes urgent in the context of climate change, which should be regularly implemented in levels of government bodies, and community as well as coming tourists. The people’s committee of Nhon Hai commune coordinated with Binh Dinh Department of Capture Fisheries and Resources Protection and the Centre for Marinelife Conservation and Community Development (MCD) to hold a communication campaign themed at marine environment protection, biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation. The communication campaign was organized in May, 2014 with following main activities: programs on communal radio station; cleaning up Nhon Hai beach; contest of removing thorn starfishes; training courses on climate change adaptation issues, reef ecosystem protection and marine environment.

The campaign attracted communal government officers, local communities including youths, students, fishermen as wel as other agencies and departments in Quy Nhon city. Especially, cleaning Nhon Hai beach withdrew 120 junior students, the youth union of Nhon Hai commune and Binh Dinh Department of Capture Fisheries and Resources Protection.

The communal youth union participating in coastal cleanup

The thorn starfishes removal contest is among the most exciting activities of the campaign with 03 teams from 3 villages of Hai Bac, Hai Dong, Hai Nam. The contest provided local people shape and harmness of thorn starfishes, which made them interested removing thorn startfishes to protect the coral reefs and marine environment, contributing to local climate change adaptation.

The above communication campaign belongs to the project named “Improving the community livelihoods resilience and adaptive management of locally managed marine reserves (LMMA) of Vietnam: from local actions to national network” funded by Mangroves for the Future (MFF), controled by International union for conservation of nature (IUCN) and implemented by the cooperation of the Centre for Marinelife Conservation and Community Development (MCD) and 3 provinces of Binh Dinh, Quang Nam and Khanh Hoa. The project aims at enhancing capacity for the network members of the local marine protected areas in Vietnam, contributing to improve local ecosystems and livelihoods.

Training on how to destroy thorn starfishes

The skits contest also drew government, associations, youths unions and fishing communities. The three teams worked hard to perform on the stage  with 03 theatrical skits named “Giving up on farming” by the communal farmer union, “Now we understood” by the women’s union, “Action for the community” by the veteran. They  brought laughters and delivered messages of marine environment protection and climate change adaptation directly to minds of participants.

The skits contest

Local community actively involved in marine environment protection

The above results of the campaign showed the important role of communication in raising awareness and management capacity for nature resources conservation and climate change adaptation. If communication activities are implemented in a good way, they will contribute effectively to bring environmental protection into daily life.