Dat Mui (12005)
Vietnam, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Dat Mui
Central coordinates: Latitude: 8.6333, Longitude: 104.7500
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 2
Area of KBA (km2): 63.48176
Protected area coverage (%): 30.17
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Dat Mui Nature Reserve is situated at the southernmost tip of Vietnam. The site was originally covered in natural mangrove forest dominated by Rhizophora apiculata, but the vast majority was destroyed during the Second Indochina War and, later, by conversion to aquaculteral ponds and agricultural land. Most of the aquacultural ponds have been abandoned, and now support extensive areas of recolonising mangrove forest. There are extensive mudflats, which are also being colonised naturally by mangrove. The site is continually growing due to accretion rates along the coastline of up to 50 m per year in some places. To the north, Dat Mui Nature Reserve is contiguous with Bai Boi Coastal Protection Forest, and together these two areas comprise an important area of intertidal mudflats and mangrove forest for migratory waterbirds.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas) The site has been reviewed and re-confirmed as a KBA in the process of compiling the revised 2011 CEPF Ecosystem Profile for the Indo-Burma Hotspot.
Habitats
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture (8%) | not utilised (23%) | urban/industrial/transport (7%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 6 | |
| Forest | 77 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 10 | |
| Artificial - Aquatic | 7 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The mangrove forests of Dat Mui have been severely degraded in the last ten years, largely as a result of of illegal encroachment and conversion to aquacultural ponds. Considerable effort has been made to restore the site and many illegal settlers have been evicted. However, there are substantial numbers of people living in or around the site and encroachment into even the strictly protected area occurs frequently. Mangrove is still exploited where it remains, and all the mature mangrove at the site appears to be severely degraded.No mangrove planting should be carried out in areas of accreting mudflats. This is important habitat for migratory waterbirds and will become naturally re-colonised by mangrove at rates that are unlikely to compromise this importance. The disused agricultural land also provides important habitat for migratory waterbirds and no re-planting should take place here.
Additional information
References: Birdlife International and the Forest Inventory and Planning Instutute (2001) Sourcebook of existing and proposed protected areas in Vietnam. Hanoi, Vietnam: BirdLife International Vietnam Programme and the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute.Buckton, S. T., Ngyuyen Cu, Nguyen Duc Tu and Ha Quy Quynh (1999) The conservation of key wetland sites in the Mekong delta. Hanoi: Birdlife International Vietnam programme.Moore, N. and Nguyen Phuc Bao Hoa (2001) Vietnam Mekong Shorebird Site Survey 2000. Wetlands International Asia-Pacific, Can Tho University (Vietnam) and Care International. Unpublished Draft.