On July 23, at a conference reviewing the management of Ca Mau Province's Marine Protected Area, Bui Nhat Phuong, Deputy Head of the Sea, Islands and Fisheries Surveillance Division under the Ca Mau Province Department of Agriculture and Environment, said the agency had worked with the Center for Marine Life Conservation and Community Development to survey fishery resources and marine biodiversity around Hon Chuoi and Hon Da Bac islands.
The survey identified two coral species listed as endemic, endangered, rare, and valuable including Cauliflower coral and Lobe coral (or Hump coral). These species have small wild populations and require protection to help conserve Vietnam's and the world's biodiversity.
Deputy Head Bui Nhat Phuong also said the Ca Mau Province People's Committee has approved the investment policy for a project to install boundary buoys for the marine protected area, with a total budget of VND18 billion (US$688,000). The project will deploy 200 specialized buoys in 2026.
The buoy system is expected to support management and biodiversity conservation while helping prevent illegal entry and other unauthorized activities within the protected area's designated zones.
Ca Mau Province's Marine Protected Area was established in 2024 and covers 27,000 hectares, including a 2,800-hectare strictly protected zone, an 11,230-hectare ecological restoration zone, a 3,970-hectare service and administrative zone, and a 9,000-hectare buffer zone. The Hon Khoai, Hon Chuoi, and Hon Da Bac island groups are all located within the protected area.
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