Monitoring the fish communities and fisheries in the Ma River system under the Trung Son hydropower Project

Introduction

Construction of Trung Son Hydropower Plant (Trung Son HP) on Ma River was started on 24 November 2012. The Construction is located in Trung Son Commune, Quan Hoa District, Thanh Hoa Province. Trung Son HP has capacity of 260 MW and anual electric production of 1018,6 GWh . Trung Son HP is multipurposed including electric production anf flood control. Concreete dam is 84.5 m high, 513 m long on top. Normal water level if of 160m. The construction and operation of Trung Son HP will cause impact on fish biodiversity anf fishery in Ma River. In order to monitor and timely apply measures to mitigate impacts of Trung Son HP on fish biodiversity and fishery, the Trung Son HP Company Limited conduct monitoring changes in fish biodiversity and fishery on Ma River through a bid package C-EMP-17 Consultancy for Changes, Monitoring and Guiding to Fish Breeding and Fishing. Consultancy firm is Centre for Resources, Environment and Climate Change under Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations.

Objectives

The present program aims are to design and implement a rigorous survey for monitoring the current status of fish communities as well as activities of fisheries in the Ma River system during the period of under construction and operation of the hydropower project, leading to valuation of likely impacts of the Trung Son Hydropower project development, then to produce related protective measurements of the fish biodiversity and fisheries.

Content and monitoring scale

1. Monitoring and ecological investigation at 14 stations, particularly focusing on conservation and economic species.
2. Investigation and monitoring of size of fish of each population at each research site.
3. Investigation and monitoring of water conditions at 14 sampling sites including: water temperature, DO, pH, total suspended solids, Total dissolved solids (TDS), conductivity, salinity, nitrites (NO2) and ammonium (NH4).
4. Investigation into fisheries monitoring at five stations including three within the reservoir and two below the dam.

The collection data required

- Duration of fishing per a month, six months or a year.
- Fisheries product of each fisher in a month, six months and a year.
- Total product of all fishers at each interview site in a month, six months and a year.
- Production of household catch per each gear.
- Production of rare and commercial species of each household in a half of year and a year.
- Total production of each species in 6 months and 1 year from all five stations.

Duration

2015-2019 (3 years before and 2 years after reservoir filling)

Monitoring locations

Fourteen locations were investigated ecological information, including two sites within the reservoir; two sites in the upstream of the reservoir; four sites below the dam and above the fork between the Luong tributary and the main stream; two sites in the lowland, below the fork between the Buoi tributary and the main stream. Four as control sites are Ta Lon and Xua; An Nghia and Thanh Hung (Figure 1).
 Figure 1: Map of sampling sites for fish and fishery monitoring

Funded by: World Bank through the Trung Son HP Company Limited

Reports completed

Inception Report
Periodic monitoring report for Rainy season 2015
Periodic monitoring report for Dry season 2015
Periodic monitoring report for Dry season 2016

Photo Report:  Field work photos

For more information, please contact: Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Duc at duc.nguyen1942@gmail.com