Marine-related livelihood activities of Can Gio District Residents: Situation and Solutions for Sustainable Development

Marine economic exploitation has been interesting for many decades for the Party and Government in Vietnam, especially in exploiting and developing the maritime economy sustainably. Therefore, the Party and the Government in Vietnam have issued resolutions related to marine strategies, such as Resolution No. 09-NQ/TW (February 9, 2007) of the 10th Party Central Committee on Vietnam’s maritime strategy to 2020, which set the goal of turning Vietnam into a country that is strong in the sea, enriching from the sea, etc., or Resolution No. 27/2007/NQ-CP (May 30, 2007) and Resolution No. 84/NQ-CP (December 10, 2015) of the Government on action programs to implement Vietnam’s maritime strategy up to 2020, mentioning many programs of socio-economic development, defense, and security of the sea and islands. In coastal provinces and cities, all programs are developed, and action programs are organized and implemented related to marine exploitation. Cần Giờ is a district of Ho Chi Minh City. The leaders of the district have implemented a number of programs related to marine exploitation and have encouraged people to continue with a variety of sea-related livelihood activities, such as fishing, farming, salting, and tourism associated with maritime ecological culture. These factors have contributed to the socio-economic development of Cần Giờ district and the successful implementation of Party and State guidelines and policies. However, to ensure the long-term viability of Can Gio residents’ marine-based livelihood activities, it is necessary to assess the current situation and propose viable solutions for the future. This is also the main goal of this article.


Introduction
Can Gio is one of the five suburban districts of Ho Chi Minh City and is located in the southeast of this city.Can Gio has a total natural area of 70,445ha, of which agricultural land is 4,075ha (5.8%), forestry land is 34,354ha (48.8%), specialized land 1 is 879ha (1.2%), and residential land is 728ha (1.0%) [1].Can Gio has many canals, with large estuaries of the rivers Long Tau, Cai Mep, Go Gia, Thi Vai, Soai Rap, and Dong Tranh.The mangrove forest of Can Gio is likened to the "green lung of the city" and was recognized by UNESCO as a "World Biosphere Reserve" in 2000.
Can Gio is the only district bordering the sea in Ho Chi Minh City, with more than 20km of coastline running west-southwest and northeast.The whole district has one town and six communes, including towns and communes bordering the sea such as Can Thanh town, Long Hoa commune, Ly Nhon commune, and one island commune (Thanh An commune).Can Gio Sea is considered an 1 Specialized land includes land for the construction of industrial, scientific, and technical works and systems.alluvial sea, suitable for the development of seafood species such as clams, oysters, etc. Besides, offshore fishing output reached over 22.5 thousand tons/year, bringing the total value to over one thousand billion VND.Therefore, Can Gio Sea is considered a great resource in the economic development structure of residents here in particular and of Ho Chi Minh City in general.
Currently, the inhabitants of Can Gio district are mostly Kinh people, besides other ethnic minorities such as Hoa, Khmer, Thai, Tay, Muong, Nung, and Cham.The total population of the district (as of 2021) is 76,070 people.The average population density is 108 people/km 2 , the lowest compared to other districts of Ho Chi Minh City [1].Here, residents have many livelihood activities such as fishing, aquaculture, industry, construction, trade, service, agriculture, etc., with different percentages of residents participating in different occupations (see Figure 2).In which the livelihoods associated with the sea of the Can Gio residents are activities aimed at exploiting marine resources such as fishing, aquaculture (29.33%), making salt (6.4%), and marine tourism (accounting for 1.89%).These are important livelihood activities that bring economic benefits to the people here and are also the main research issue of this article.

Literature review and methods
Research on Can Gio and the livelihood activities of residents here has been mentioned in many works and articles.Studies focusing on understanding the history, people, and process of socio-economic construction and development in Can Gio can include books such as An overview of Can Gio district, Ho Chi Minh City by Tran Bach Dang and Duong Minh Ho (editor, 1993) [2]; History of revolutionary struggle, construction, and development of the Party Committee and people of Can Gio district (1930-2010)) of Can Gio Party Committee (2013) [3].Research works on culture, ecology, and tourism in Can Gio include articles: Tourism environmental risk assessment for tourism in Can Gio district -Ho Chi Minh city of Can Gio district, Ho Chi Minh City by Tran Duy Minh (2011) [4]; the article by Le Duc Tuan (2014) on Environmental Resources, Human Ecosystems, Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve [5]; Phan Nguyen Phong Luan (2021) on Can Gio culinary culture in tourism activities [6].Research works on the economy and activities of economic restructuring and livelihoods of residents of Can Gio district can be followed as follows: Can Gio district Party Committee led the economic restructuring in the period 1996-2009 by Phung The Anh (2010) [7 Research on economictechnical -social factors affecting the life of shrimp farmers in Can Gio district by Nguyen Thi Phuong Chau (2007) [8]; Shrimp farming in Can Gio (Ho Chi Minh City in the orientation of environmental protection) by Nguyen Quang Viet Ngan (2009) [9]; Livelihood of residents of Can Gio district, Ho Chi Minh City by Ngo Thi Phuong Lan (2017) [10].In particular, the Proceedings of the 40-year Conference of Can Gio (Duyen Hai) of the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee (2017) [11] have gathered many articles on the history, economy, culture, society, security, and defense of this land.Each article addresses explicitly each issue, such as mentioning the current situation, analyzing strengths and limitations, and proposing solutions for the sustainable development of each field in the future.Thus, the specific historical, economic, social, and natural resources of Can Gio have attracted the attention and research of many organizations and individuals.Research by Le Thanh Hoa and colleagues in Can Gio area in 2022 [12] on Assessment of livelihood risks due to climate change and ecological resources in Can Gio mangrove biosphere reserve, Vietnam has provided identification of risks of 13 livelihood genres by climate changes and recommended risk management strategies, along with measures to protect and support livelihood resources for Can Gio local residents.Or, research by Huynh Ngoc Thu and Duong Hoang Loc [13] also mentioned the risk response strategy when catching seafood at sea by applying indigenous knowledge of fishermen.Research by Luu Van Quyet, Pham Thanh Duy and Vo Phuc Toan [14] deals with sustainable tourism development in Phu Quoc.So, in terms of sustainable livelihoods associated with the sea, to well implement the policy and strategy of sustainable development of the marine economy according to Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW of the 12th Party Central Committee, there have not been many studies in this area.
Our paper aims to solve this problem by using primary data collected by ourselves in the coastal towns and villages of the Can Gio district to analyze the current status of the sea livelihood activities of residents and propose solutions to contribute to sustainable development in the future.The data collection was carried out through in-depth interviews with a total of 24 interviews, of which 3 were for local officials and 19 were for people who were in occupations such as fishing (5 interviews), aquaculture (5 interviews), salt making (5 interviews), and tourism (4 interviews).In addition, we also used the participant observation method to deeply research the livelihood activities of people in this area.We also use a seasonal calendar and pairwise comparison table as tools to collect data related to time and output in the livelihood activities of the people in Can Gio district.The data collection period was done before the COVID-19 pandemic (in 2018 and 2019) and the post-pandemic period (in 2021 4 and early 2022).Besides, we also refer to published documents of previous researchers to supplement secondary data to complete this article.

Status of livelihood activities associated with the sea of residents in Can Gio district
The livelihoods associated with the sea for the inhabitants of Can Gio are identified as types such as marine and coastal fishing, aquaculture, salt making, and tourism associated with the sea.
Fishing activities Currently, fishing activities at sea by residents of the Can Gio district are considered to be the most prominent of the existing economic activities in this area.According to the 2022 statistics of the Can Gio District People's Committee, the whole district has 882 means of regular fishing activities.These means are detailed statistics as follows: Table 1.Means of fishing [15] Name of means Quantities (pcs) Fishing places 2Drag-net fishing boat 561 The intertidal zone Put net for capture of bottom fish 307 The coastal zone Single drag-net fishing boat, Double drag-net fishing boats 14 The offshore zone Total 882 Among the fishing means mentioned above, there are 868 means of fishing in the coastal waters and the coastal zone; the rest are fishing in the offshore zone.The output of seafood caught in 2022 reached over 21.3 thousand tons (increasing 10% compared to 2021).The income of fishermen in the offshore zone reached 234 to 270 million VND/vehicle/ year, and in the coastal waters and the coastal zone, it reached 82 to 94 million VND/ vehicle/ year [15].
Our survey shows that the rainy season (from April to October) is the most effective fishing season, because of the quantity of seafood.According to the opinions of fishermen, the percentage of seafood caught by month of the year shows the following (specifically in 2021): The fisherman's activity schedule is dependent on the fishing area.If they are fishing near the shore, they will go back on the same day.They usually depart early in the morning and return at noon or afternoon (depending on the high or low tide of the day).If fishing offshore, each fishing trip usually lasts a week or a fortnight.Common types of seafood caught include white-leg shrimp, shrimp, crab, mantis shrimp, snails, flounder, mullet, pineapple, anchovies, etc.This seafood is sold directly to traders at the markets, locals, and tourists.Some fishermen also bring seafood to dry processing to sell at a higher price.According to the fisherman's opinion, the amount of seafood sold to traders accounts for over 80% (see Figure 4).According to fishermen, fishing at sea is only enough for their daily lives, and only a few families are well-off or rich from this work.Because there are always risks in the fishing process, such as natural disasters, and the consumption market is not stable, the source of seafood is getting less and less, and the cost of fishing activities is increasing.These are the important difficulties that the fishermen of Can Gio district are currently facing.

Aquaculture
This is considered an important economic sector and one of the important economic resources for the socio-economic development of the Can Gio district.The farming of seafood such as shrimp (black tiger shrimp, white leg shrimp), crabs, fish (pineapple fish, cobia, mullet, etc.), and mollusks such as clams, oysters, and snails always brings high economic benefits for the residents of the district.
Aquaculture was developed in Can Gio district in 2000, with 2,733ha used for this economic activity.Statistics in 2021 show that the district's seafood farming area increased to 5,849.8 ha with 11 farms and the seafood output achieved was 46,658 thousand tons [1].Specifically calculated income in 2021, including: Table 2. Income from aquaculture activities in 2021 [16] Aquaculture activities Income (Billion VND/ha) 3  Oysters 1.9 Clams 0.125 Snails 0.129 According to residents' opinions, in recent years, the district's staff in charge of agriculture and fishery has regularly organized consulting and supporting activities for people in aquaculture, such as organizing training activities, guiding raising procedures, measures to prevent diseases in livestock, quarantine of breeds, analysis, and testing of water samples and culture environment, etc.In addition, the Can Gio district government also organized for their people study tours of high-tech aquaculture models such as shrimp and crab farming models in Kien Giang, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, etc.The district government is also selecting contractors on behalf of the people to carry out the farming of shrimp to recirculate aquaculture systems (RAS), pineapple fish farming models in the form of rivers in ponds, mollusk seed production models, etc.
Currently, the residents in the Can Gio district have been applying high technology, such as biotechnology, to shrimp farming.Specifically, in 2022, the whole district had 250 hectares of hightech shrimp farming.In addition, there are 4,606 hectares of shrimp farming under intensive, semiintensive, and ecological farming models [15].The people in the district also develop ecological farming models for rearing clams, raising snails, and raising oysters, etc., and have had high achievements in recent times.These types of seafood are favored by the market, bought at high prices, and bring good profits.Therefore, oyster and snail farming have been practiced by many people in the Can Gio district in recent years.

Salt making
Can Gio beach is located in a high-salinity water area; therefore, salt work is developed here.In Can Gio, salt making is popular in communes such as Ly Nhon, Thanh An, and Long Hoa (see Figure 5).In addition, Ly Nhon is one of the communes that has a long tradition of salt-making in the district.This work has attracted many workers and is also being done with a long-standing attachment to the people here.Currently, salt-making in Can Gio is carried out in two forms: making salt on the ground fields and making salt on the tarpaulin fields.(Source: vnbusiness.vn)[17] Statistics: By 2021, the whole Can Gio district will have 1,552 hectares of salt production, of which 1,285 hectares are produced according to the model of salt crystallization on tarpaulin fields [16].By 2022, the total area used for salt production in the district will be 1,545 ha, of which 1,304 ha will be used for salt production according to the model of crystallization on tarpaulin fields.The output of salt harvested in 2022 will be 65,019 tons (an average of 42.1 tons/ha).The average income is 31.94 million VND/ha [15].Salt-working takes place from November to March next year.This is the time of the sunny season in southern Vietnam.At that time, when it was sunny and dry, the people built the banks, created the fields, and flattened the fields to let the seawater in.According to the people, making salt is hard work because it has to go through many stages, but it is a traditional work and is used to feed their families, so they cannot quit.

Tourism
Can Gio district has many advantages in developing tourism due to its rich tourism resources such as forest (especially mangroves), marine, rivers, traditional craft villages (such as the salt village in Thieng Lieng hamlet belonging to Thanh An and Ly Nhon communes, the bird's nest farming village in Tam Thon Hiep commune, the Dong Tranh fishing village of Long Hoa commune, etc.), and many worship facilities for various religions and beliefs (see Figure 6).At present, there are quite famous tourist attractions exploiting Can Gio, such as Vam Sat eco-tourism area (Vam Sat ecopark) in Ly Nhon commune, the Rung Sac tourist area belonging to Long Hoa commune, the Hang Duong Seafood Market, April 30 Beach, the Temple of Whale Worship (Lăng Ông Thủy Tướng) in Can Thanh town, etc. (Source: vtv.vn) [18] According to the local government, tourism in Can Gio has recovered since the end of 2021 (after the COVID-19 pandemic).The large number of tourists coming to visit here has significantly increased.In 2022, the number of tourists visiting the Can Gio district reached 3 million arrivals, 2 times higher than in 2021 (1.54 million visitors in 2021), and revenue reached 2,114 billion VND, an increase of 2.2 times compared to 2021 [15].
Currently, the Can Gio district has implemented many plans to develop tourism, such as building and developing the Thieng Lieng community tourist area in Thanh An commune with models such as culinary entertainment, community beach practice swimming,etc.In addition, the local government also connects with travel businesses to build and develop tours to visit salt fields, mangrove forests, and Giong Chua Mountain.Besides, the plans for improving the quality of tourism activities in Can Thanh beach, managing business activities to ensure security and order for the 30/4 tourists, writing "the Can Gio tourism manual", strengthening tourism propaganda through participation in tourism events in Ho Chi Minh City, etc. have also been implemented.In addition, the Can Go district also connects with the Department of Tourism of Ho Chi Minh City to organize a survey to build tourist routes such as the "Bach Dang -Can Gio river tourist route", "River tourism products in Ho Chi Minh City", as well as building night markets in Can Thanh town and Long Hoa commune to attract more and more tourists to the Can Gio district.
In general, the Can Gio district has a lot of potential to exploit and develop tourism.However, the current tourism activities are not diversified in this area, so it is necessary to have solutions to better exploit these potentials in the future.

Difficulties of livelihood activities associated with the sea of residents in the Can Gio district
During the field survey, we found that there are many difficulties that residents in the Can Gio district are facing in their livelihood activities associated with the sea.Specifically:

About the exploitation of seafood
According to the fishermen in the Can Gio district, the exploitation of seafood has decreased significantly in recent years.Especially during the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, fishing activities were interrupted.The number of people engaged in fishing decreased.Statistics for 2022 show that fishing means in intertidal and coastal areas decreased by 63, and offshore areas decreased by 75 means compared to 2021 [16].In addition, the seafood consumption market faced difficulties; fuel prices continuously increased, making seafaring costs higher than in the years before the pandemic; and the reserve of seafood resources at sea is decreasing day by day due to the presence of abusive fishing methods (such as using small hole nets, catching a lot in the breeding season, etc.).Moreover, this is work with many risk factors because it relates to the weather and is also a big capital investment (such as buying boats, nets, fuel, and hiring workers).Unlucky people can lose big property and even humans.In the last 2 years, the income of the fishermen from fishing decreased by 5% to 9% compared to previous years [15].Therefore, the number of people participating is decreasing.Many people have sold their fishing equipment and changed to other jobs such as workers, traders, and hired workers [15].

About aquaculture
Currently, the aquaculture area of semi-intensive and extensive farming in the Can Gio district is still large (accounting for 69.2% of the pond area).According to the local government's assessment, this aquaculture method does not improve productivity or product quality and is prone to risks from unfavorable weather changes.Besides, aquaculture products are mainly supplied to the domestic market; seafood farmers do not have a connection with processing enterprises, so products are sold slowly.Types of products processed from raw materials for aquaculture are still in the form of crafts on a small scale and seasonally; processed products have not had a brand name, so it is difficult to compete with outsiders.Therefore, income from this job is not as high as people's expectations.On the other hand, in recent years, the price of land has increased rapidly in the Can Gio district.Many households sell their land to outsiders who do not directly produce, affecting the growth rate of aquaculture areas here.

About making salt
With characteristics of mud soil and alluvial sea, the salt made in Can Gio is not as white as in other localities, so the economic value is low.Moreover, in recent years, due to unseasonal rains occurring frequently and unpredictably in the Southeast region, it has affected salt making.In addition, the amount of salt produced is consumed slowly, although the local government has introduced and connected salt workers with the Southern Salt Group Joint Stock Company and other salt enterprises such as Thanh Phat enterprise, Tan Thanh enterprise, and Hanh Toan enterprise, which supports salt consumption for them.But, the amount of salt consumed only accounts for about 60% of the total local salt production.The rest of the salt, people have to consume by themselves or keep them in storage to wait for consumption next year [15].Therefore, this job has not developed well in recent years.

About tourism
Although the Can Gio district has great potential for developing tourism, tourist activities in this locality are still limited.For example, Can Gio beach has not been focused on exploitation and has no specific plan to protect the marine environment or improve the beach to better serve tourism.The investment in facilities to serve the eco-agricultural tourism models faces many difficulties due to policies related to master planning, land use planning, and special-use forests.Historical sites, archaeological sites, and religious and belief establishments... put into tourist exploitation are limited and have not created specific products to attract the attention of tourists.In particular, the advertising of tourism in the area has not been professionally implemented; it is just general banners and slogans that are hung up in some public places, so it does not impress visitors with high efficiency.The infrastructure has not developed synchronously.Service and tourism establishments are few, and service quality is not good.Tourism products are simple and low quality; tourism human resources are still limited in terms of professional qualifications… [19].These are the major difficulties and limitations in tourism development in the Can Gio district today.

Solutions for sustainable livelihood development
The concept of sustainable livelihoods was first mentioned in the 1987 report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), with the connotation related to the safe ownership of natural resources and income-earning activities, including reserves and assets to offset risks, decrease shocks, and provide a timely response to contingencies.Such as ownership of land, livestock, and trees; the right to graze, fish, hunt, or gather… is guaranteed.These issues need to be maintained or enhanced to improve resource productivity on a long-term and sustainable basis [20].In 1992, in the article "Sustainable rural livelihoods: practical concepts for the 21st century", Robert Chambers and Gordon R. mentioned this concept more clearly with the content "sustainable livelihood is a livelihood that comprises the capabilities, assets (stores, resources, claims, and access) and activities required for a means of living: a livelihood is sustainable if it can cope with and recover from stress and shocks, maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets, provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for the next generation, and contribute net benefits to other livelihoods at the local and global levels and in the short and long term" [21].To research, apply, and promote actions related to sustainable livelihoods, DFID (1999) launched a sustainable livelihood framework that emphasized five types of capital, including human capital, social capital, natural capital, physical capital, and financial capital.These types of capital are considered the livelihood assets of people and ethnic communities, having mutual relationships, and promoting and controlling mutual development [22].
Through analyzing the current situation as well as difficulties in livelihood activities associated with the sea of Can Gio's residents, we found that to bring this livelihood activity to sustainable development in the future, it is necessary to invest and develop capital sources such as: Human capital: In livelihood activities, especially those associated with the sea, human capital is considered important.Because this capital determines the operation of livelihoods.Currently, in the Can Gio district, the labor force engaged in livelihood activities associated with the sea is gradually decreasing due to many reasons, such as risks in occupational activities, low income, unsecured human resources on health, and professional qualifications.Therefore, to improve human capital in these livelihood activities, it is necessary for the local government to have specific policies such as planning the allocation of human resources in the locality through professional training, improving skills, encouraging people to participate in improvement in their work, and applying modern techno science in livelihood activities to reduce risks, create peace of mind for employees, and increase their income.
Social capital: This is an important source of capital for the sustainable development of livelihood activities.Because this capital emphasizes social resources, social relations, social networks, mass organizations, etc. in supporting the creation of product consumption markets and expanding the product consumption network of economic activities in the social community, currently, an important difficulty in the livelihood activities associated with the sea of people in the Can Gio district is product consumption markets.Fishing and aquaculture products are mainly consumed for the domestic market at low prices, thus affecting people's incomes; products of salt making also do not expand the consumption market; and tourist activity does not have a wide connection with outside places, so it cannot develop as well as expected.Therefore, the local government and the community are necessary to further build and expand social networks, especially to expand relationships with big foreign enterprises by signing contracts for investing and developing product consumption markets.In this way, the social capital of the community, the people in the district and especially of the residents who are active in various forms of livelihoods associated with the sea will be expanded, creating more opportunities for outside-world cooperation in the future.
Natural capital: This is capital related to natural resources exploited and used in people's livelihood activities.In Can Gio district, this capital is very rich, including marine resources, forest resources, and land resources.However, taking advantage of these resources to exploit and develop livelihood activities, especially the livelihoods associated with the sea of residents here, is still limited due to the lack of complete planning in the whole area.Therefore, the Ho Chi Minh City government and the local government need to develop and implement specific and long-term economic resource planning to make people feel secure in their livelihood activities.
Physical capital: This capital includes basic infrastructure, technical infrastructure, equipment, etc. to serve the development of livelihoods.However, this capital source is still limited in the Can Gio district.Infrastructure in this area has not been developed synchronously; technical infrastructure and equipment to serve people's livelihood activities are limited, and there are no major and key investment projects.Therefore, the Can Gio district government needs to call for more investment in this capital from the budget of the city, the government, and from abroad to develop this source of capital.
Financial capital: This is considered an important capital source related to financial resources used in economic activities.However, for residents of the Can Gio district, this capital is very limited because they live in the island district, far from the economic development center, and their economic activities are mainly small in each household.For the local government, this capital is allocated from the budget of Ho Chi Minh City, so it is just enough to build infrastructure and serve basic local activities.Therefore, it can be said that the financial capital in the Can Gio district is not much, so it is not possible to make a big investment in the development of the people's livelihood here.Therefore, the government of Ho Chi Minh City as well as the Can Gio district must have a strategy to develop this capital by implementing key projects to call for investment from outside organizations to support capital to develop livelihoods for people here.By addressing the above important issues, livelihood activities, and livelihoods associated with the sea of Can Gio district residents, they will develop sustainably in the future.

Conclusion
Can Gio is the only sea-bordering district of Ho Chi Minh City.This place has a lot of potential for economic development, especially the marine economy.People in Can Gio have long exploited this potential in their livelihood activities.Marine-related livelihood activities are prominent in this area, including fishing, aquaculture, salt making, marine ecology tourism, etc.These activities are bringing economic resources to the locality and community.However, in recent years, these livelihood activities have faced many difficulties due to changes in weather and climate, a lack of product consumption markets, and undeveloped synchronous socio-economic development policies.The infrastructure is still weak, and socioeconomic issues have not been invested in and developed effectively.Therefore, socio-economic and livelihood activities associated with the sea of people have not been well developed with the existing potential in this area.Therefore, for livelihood activities to develop sustainably, it is necessary to have more effective policies and solutions in the future.Especially, these are solutions to develop capital resources such as human capital, social capital, natural capital, physical capital, and financial capital, because these types of capital determine livelihood assets and are closely related to livelihood sustainable development in the future.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Can Gio District map

Figure 3 .
Figure 3. Percentage of seafood caught by month of the year (Unit: %) (Source: Synthesis of fishermen people's opinions, 2022)

Figure 5 .
Figure 5. Salt-making in Can Gio