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polychaetes 16.1 of volume. However, the crabs also consumed lesser quantities of seagrass 10.2 of volume. Small 50 mm carapace length crabs predominantly forage on shallow sand
flats, whereas larger individuals occur most abundantly amongst seagrass and unvegetated habitats further offshore. Although P. pelagicus generally forages in the habitat in which they rest during the
day, they readily move to other habitats where larger prey is abundant. Crabs cease feeding prior to and during moulting. Immediately after moulting, the gastric mill is filled
with calcareous fragments. As the crab shell hardens, feeding on organic material commences, being greatest during the early intermoult period and reduced in later intermoult..During the breeding
season, females feed very little and do not moult, while males stop feeding only at premoult and postmoult periods of l-2 days and feed actively during an intermoult period of several months
Archdale, 1992. P. pelagicus rely on chemical andor tactile cues rather than sight to locate their prey and food, and so
the crabs’ efficiency at locating prey is not affected by the structure that e.g. seagrass provides Haywooda et al. 2003.
5.5 Endangered, threatened and protected
Kien Giang is considered to have a high density of turtles in Vietnam. There are two species of sea
turtle identified as existing in Kien Giang province waters. These are Green turtle and Hawksbill
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Map 2. Vietnam’s main Green turtle nesting sites are in close proximity to the fishery at Phu Quoc and Con Son. Sea grass and coral reefs exist around Phu Quoc island, which are habitat for sea turtles.
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Map 2: Sea turtle hot spots in Vietnam
Source: WWF, 2007 The information about sea turtle entanglement for Kien Giang is unclear. Fishers said that
entanglement with turtles is extremely rare. One fisher reported 1 encountered in 2-3 years. However, it is likely that there have been interactions. Dung et al, reports sea turtle entanglement in nets, but
with survival rates of up to 85. However, it also reports that fishermen tend to keep the turtles.
Phu Quoc and Con Son are identified as the only two areas in Vietnam still with dugong populations. Known dugong sites are located around PhuQuoc island. Dugongs have rarely been seen in the last 20
years. Sea grass is the main habitat for dugongs, and these areas tend to be in the coastal belt where fishing is banned.
7 FISHERY MANAGEMENT
7.1 Management Bodies
The institutional structure of fisheries management in Vietnam is centred on the Ministry of Agriculture and Resource Development MARD and the provincial fisheries departments, under the
Department of Agriculture and Resource Development DARD. The provincial department has responsibility for fishery management out to 24 nautical miles.
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The Capture Fisheries and Fisheries Resource Protection Department DECAFIREP of the Ministry of Fisheries and its branches in the provinces are charged with controlling all fishing activities. Every
provincial DECAFIREP has patrol boats and staff to control fishing activities within the provincial coastal waters. Responsibility for compliance is shared with the Border army force.
7.2 Fisheries management policy
