Proceedings of the International Cyanide Detection Testing Workshop

The detrimental effects of cyanide fi shing
on coral reef fi sh as well as coral are well
documented (Rubec et al., 2001, Cervino et
al., 2003).
Current status of cyanide fi shing
Cyanide fi shing in Vietnam is largely driven
by two key fi sheries:
1. The international trade in live reef food
fi sh
2. The marine aquarium fi shery
A report on the status of Vietnam’s reefs in
2005 noted that although dynamite fi shing
had decreased, cyanide fi shing had become
more popular due to the increased demand of
the live fi sh trade (Tuan et al., 2005). Vietnam
is located near to the two biggest live reef
fi sh markets Hong Kong and China - a nation
importing up to 90% of food fi sh worldwide
(Tuan et al., 2005).
The distribution of the use of cyanide
fi shing in Vietnam has not been surveyed
in a systematic way. Areas of use of cyanide
have only been identifi ed in scatted reports.
The use of cyanide is common in reef sites in
the north (Co To, Bach Long Vy) and central
provincial islands (Ly Son, Cu Lao Cham)
due to the availability of cheap cyanide pills
(8000 VND each - USD 0.5). Exploitation of
coral reef fi sh using cyanide in Co To Island
(Quang Ninh province), has been identifi ed as
the major cause of a critical decline in marine
aquarium fi shery resources (Nguyen Van
Quan et al., 2007). Overfi shing and use of
destructive methods (cyanide, blast and fi ne
mesh nets) for a range of coral reef fi sheries
has resulted in widespread destruction of
reefs in the following provinces in Vietnam:
Quang Ninh, Nghe An, Quang Binh, Thua
Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Da Nang, Quang
Ngai and Khanh Hoa (See Figure 1) (Chou,
2000).
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Hon Mun MPA island communities (Khanh
Hoa Province) are home to many poor
fisher families whose subsistence includes
a decreasing catch supplying the local and
international aquarium fi sh trade. They are
responsible for a large proportion of the
unsustainable fi shing activity near Hon Mun
including the use of cyanide and dynamite
(GEF Project documentation http://
www.gefweb.org/COUNCIL/GEF_C14/
vietnam/viethon.pdf).According to local
sources cyanide fi shing was only introduced
into Khanh Hoa between 1994 and 1996.
Local government offi cials believe that Hong
Kong-based middlemen and traders supply
cyanide to fi shermen to guarantee the supply
of certain volumes and species (McCullough
and Hai, 2001).
In Bach Long Vy Island, the level of cyanide
in the sea was on average 0.65mg/l, more
than 13 times the permitted limit; 300mg/
kg in sediment, 3 times more than Canada’s
standard; 40mg/kg in seaweed, 20 times more
than America’s standard; 550mg/kg in abalone,
more than 2.5 times America’s standard. The
coral “jungle” in north-east Bach Long Vy has
been signifi cantly destroyed due to the use of
cyanide to fi sh for grouper. The environment
surrounding Bach Long Vy Island has been
polluted by poisons for a long time, one of
the reasons leading to exhausted abalone
resources(Nguyen Huy Yet et al., 2004).
This scattered reporting of the use of cyanide
use highlights the need for developing a
structured project to determine the areas
and extent of use in order to inform suitable
management responses.
In Vietnam, prices paid to fi shers for live
coral groupers are three times higher than for
frozen (McCullough and Hai, 2001), making
the use of illegal cyanide a viable option
particularly when fi nes are relatively low and