CUBIC CoverDec08.indd - Colliers

Destinations
DESTINATIONS
PHU QUOC PROTECTORS
One organisation working to help balance the
demands of progress with the preservation of the
Island’s natural resources is Wildlife at Risk (WAR),
a Vietnam-based non-government organisation
co-founded by Englishman Dominic Scriven, OBE,
and conservationist, Julia Shaw. As the Director of
Dragon Capital – the largest and among the most
experienced asset managers in Vietnam – Scriven
explained to CUBIC that the decision to be a part of
conservation efforts in Vietnam was based on a desire
to give back and be a part of his adopted country.
“Everybody, wherever they live, has to be part
of their society. For me I choose to be part of
Vietnamese society and I want to give back to be
part of Vietnam. There are any numbers of ways
to give back, but I choose to give back to the
wildlife and ecology, which is extremely rich.”
With overriding priorities in the fast
developing country, such as economic progress
and escape from poverty, issues such as
wildlife and ecological conservation tend to be
overlooked, noted Scriven. He acknowledged that
it is crucial that conservation work takes place
now, in a more proactive rather than reactive
manner.
“In Britain, there are virtually zero areas that
have not been trodden over and massacred,”
he said, “A place like Vietnam still has its virgin
areas and the natural tendency for humanity is to
exploit these resources. Phu Quoc has not been
exploited yet, but it will be, and the question is
how to manage this process.”
Being an isolated land mass means that Phu Quoc
is somewhat protected from external forces and has
its own unique ecology of rare plants and animals.
For example, a species of dog called the Phu Quoc
ridgeback is found only on the island. But the island is
also vulnerable at the same time precisely because of
its special and delicate island ecosystem.
CEO of WAR, Nguyen Vu Khoi, explained that
the island has a wide range of habitats. From
swampy mangroves to sandy beaches and arid
dry highlands, forests on the varied terrain of
the island are a study in diversity. Coconut and
palm trees, and other coastal species thrive on
the sandy soils of the beaches, while mangroves
Left from top: WAR at
work rehabilitiating the
Dao Long; A Phu Quoc
gem – the Paphiopedilum
callosum, an orchid listed
as an endangered species;
a golden dragonfly
recorded among WAR’s
insect surveys
“It’s a place that
speaks to my spirit.
From there comes the
willingness to commit
to the island.”
and other wetland trees inhabit the swampier
mangrove areas, and hardy conifers take root on
the rugged slopes of the island’s loftier territories.
These various forest habitats support an even
greater abundance of flora and fauna, from rare
plants to butterflies, insect life, reptiles and birds.
But little is understood about the island’s great
range of natural reserves, and plant and animal
inhabitants.
In acknowledgement of the value of the
island’s biodiversity, Vietnamese authorities
such as the State Forest Enterprise, which has
managed Phu Quoc’s forests since 1975, have
upgraded Phu Quoc’s status from Nature Reserve
to National Park. “(It had) the objective of
conserving the natural resources of the island and
protecting the endemic gene pools of the Phu
Quoc forests,” said Khoi, a trained forester and
expert in conservation biology.
TREASURES OF THE EARTH
Apart from its conservation activities, WAR also
has a vital presence in Vietnam because of its
awareness and protection programmes, noted
Chris Jones, Acting Trustee of WAR and one of
its valued sponsors. “As the only organisation
of its kind in the southern region of Vietnam,
the NGO also acts as a role model for other local
conservationist activities,” he added.
On a national level, WAR has initiated
protection work, cooperating with local
authorities and national park rangers to put a
curb on wildlife poaching in Vietnam that fuels
the illegal wildlife trade. Awareness work in the
form of picture postcards and books featuring
the island’s wild creatures and plants, and a
butterfly reserve on Scriven’s Mango Bay ecoresort
also serves to educate and cultivate an
appreciation of the rich and valuable diversity of
the Island.
For the past two years, WAR has been
undertaking studies to bridge the knowledge
gap and document the natural wonders of Phu
Quoc. Endorsed by authorities, WAR’s studies
have unearthed some great finds on the island,
including rare and beautiful orchids. One
discovery was a valuable and heavily traded
slipper orchid species called Paphiopedilum
22 52 November January 2009 2008 | |