Livelihoods and co-management in the Tam Giang lagoon, Vietnam

Tuyen, Truong Van; Armitage, Derek; Marschke, Melissa

doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2010.04.001

Cited by 63 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The open-water area of the Cau Hai lagoon is approximately 9800 hectares and is bordered by seven communes and one town. Fishing communities around the lagoon have been identified as having high rates of poverty, even in comparison to national averages for rural areas (Tuyen et al 2010). For analytical purposes we defined physical boundaries a priori as the water environment and adjacent communities.…”

Section: Study Locationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Conversion to aquaculture expanded rapidly within the lagoon by enclosing fish corrals (net enclosures) and on land adjacent to the lagoon (upland and lowland ponds), which was enabled by new policies that allowed farmers to convert rice paddies into aquaculture ponds (Nayak et al 2015). Important policy drivers on national, provincial, and district levels that contributed to economic development have been discussed by Tuyen et al (2010) and Armitage et al (2011). Aquaculture production increased dramatically (Fig.…”

Section: Resource Boom and Overcrowding Phasementioning

confidence: 99%

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Understanding social-ecological change and transformation through community perceptions of system identity

Andrachuk¹,

Armitage²

2015

E&S

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188

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ABSTRACT. We developed an empirical approach to consider social-ecological system change and transformation by drawing on resource users' knowledge and perceptions. We applied this approach in the Cau Hai lagoon, a coastal area dominated by small-scale fisheries in central Vietnam. Nine focus groups with more than 70 fishers were used to gather information about key social-ecological system elements and interactions, historical social-ecological dynamics, and possible thresholds between distinct social-ecological system identities. The patterns of change in livelihoods and resource exploitation in the Cau Hai lagoon are similar to those seen in other coastal lagoon and small-scale fishery contexts. Our findings show some promise for the use of local knowledge and the perceptions of resource user communities to understand and characterize social-ecological transformations. Importantly, however, we also demonstrate how social-ecological transformations are complicated processes driven by many factors beyond the control of any singular individual or group. We argue that (1) the occurrence of social-ecological transformations can result in either positive or negative outcomes and (2) that we need to direct our thinking away from drawing tidy conclusions about if and when social-ecological transformations take place. Our research also encourages scholars to carefully consider how we frame the benefits of participatory, community-based governance initiatives. Importantly, we need to examine the ways that governance initiatives will be beneficial for some people and detrimental for others, and we need to be fully aware of locally contested interests and acknowledge competing priorities for fisheries management and human well-being. Community-oriented assessments informed by resilience thinking can help to open up questions about economic, political, cultural, and environmental aspects of undesirable path dependencies and traps.

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Section: Study Locationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resource Boom and Overcrowding Phasementioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding social-ecological change and transformation through community perceptions of system identity

Andrachuk¹,

Armitage²

2015

E&S

Self Cite

188

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“…In Thuy Dien village, some of these organizations supported the process of settlement of sampan dwellers (DaCosta and Turner 2007). For example, the Fisheries' Association represents fisher groups, from the village to the national level, and can serve to build co-management at the level of the village, inter-village or commune (Phuoc 2006;Tuyen et al 2010). The Thuy Dien village local Fisheries' Association played an important role in opening and maintaining waterway systems in the area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lagoon commons are shared spaces, and issues of property rights have arisen since the feudal times. Traditionally, there have been two fisher groups based on the type of fishing gear they own: fixed fishing gear groups with larger capital investments and mobile fishing gear groups with poorer fishers (Phap 2002;Tuyen 2002a;Tuyen et al 2010). Since 1975, coastal commons have been nationalized.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversity of resource use and property rights in Tam Giang Lagoon, Vietnam

Huong

Berkes

2011

Int J Commons

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Abstract:Since the early 1990s, aquaculture has become the most important livelihood activity in Tam Giang Lagoon, Vietnam. The aquaculture boom has reduced the available water area for mobile gear fishers, polarized different usergroups, created resource conflicts, and increased pressures on the lagoon systems. Aquaculture in the lagoon is governed by both customary and legal rights. The objective of this paper is to explore the diversity of resource use and the complexity of property rights in one of the villages located in the lagoon. The paper emphasizes the linkages between changes in commons institutions and changes in resource use and property rights. First, the political and socio-economic changes in Vietnam are examined as well as how they have influenced traditional commons institutions and lagoon resource management in the village. Second, the linkages between common institutions and the diversity of property rights are analyzed. Particular attention is given to the analysis of different types of resource use associated with "bundle of rights" and the diversity of property rights regimes in the village.

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“…After these changes, the income from aquaculture contributed to 50% of household total income in 2015. The expansion of waterways also offered a chance to earn 10% of the income from mobile fishing, which was impossible before (see also Tuyen et al 2010).…”

Section: Net-enclosed Aquaculturistsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can income diversification resolve social-ecological traps in small-scale fisheries and aquaculture in the global south? A case study of response diversity in the Tam Giang lagoon, central Vietnam

Hanh¹,

Boonstra²

2018

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Small-scale fishers and aquaculturists in the global south often face reinforcing feedbacks between resource degradation and livelihood impoverishment, a situation conceptualized as a social-ecological trap. It is argued that these traps can be overcome through income diversification, i.e., livelihoods that are maintained from variable income sources. Our aim was to further scrutinize that claim using the concept of response diversity. To do so, we applied the concept and analyzed income diversification in the Tam Giang lagoon, central Vietnam. Based on our analysis, we argue that high diversity in income activities does not necessarily lead to an escape from social-ecological traps. Although diversity in income activities in the case of the Tam Giang lagoon is relatively high, fisheries-and aquaculture-related income activities continue to dominate livelihood portfolios. The various gear and structures that these activities include all exploit the same ecologies, habitats, and niches of the lagoon. This finding triggers questions concerning the relative contribution of income activities to household income, but also how activities are (differently) connected to natural environments. Income diversification can only sustain natural resources and improve human well-being if it truly transforms livelihoods by connecting local users in new ways to ecologies and societies.

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Livelihoods and co-management in the Tam Giang lagoon, Vietnam

Cited by 63 publications

References 13 publications

Understanding social-ecological change and transformation through community perceptions of system identity

Understanding social-ecological change and transformation through community perceptions of system identity

Diversity of resource use and property rights in Tam Giang Lagoon, Vietnam

Can income diversification resolve social-ecological traps in small-scale fisheries and aquaculture in the global south? A case study of response diversity in the Tam Giang lagoon, central Vietnam

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