The establishment of Con Co Island Marine Reserve is a basis for centralQuang Tri province to manage its marine resources and environment in acollective, unified and effective way. A marinereserve does not only help guarantee the ecological balance of the sea,protect biodiversity, make the environment equable and ensure aquaticbreed resources, but it plays an important role in long-term economicdevelopment, scientific research, education and marine tourism. Apart from those benefits, the Con Co reserve provides administrativeand legal tools in the struggle for national sea and island sovereigntyand security in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone. Con Co Island Marine Reserve was established under Quang Triprovincial People’s Committee Decision No. 2090 dated October 14, 2009,and became operational on April 21, 2010. It aims toimprove local residents’ awareness of biodiversity, marine resources,as well as the management, protection and sustainable development ofthose resources. The reserve covers 4,532 hectares,including three subregions - namely a 534 ha protected subregion, a1,392 ha subregion for ecological recovery and a 2,376 ha subregion fordevelopment. In terms of biodiversity, the reservenow boasts 113 coral species, 57 species of seaweed and seagrass, 67zoobenthos species, 19 crustacean species, 224 species of saltwaterfish, 87 species of coral reef fish, 164 phytoplankton species and 68species and groups of zooplankton. Of which, numerous species are rareand have high economic value such as lobster, sea cucumbers, Asian greenmussels, mackerel, squid and sea whips. Totalreserves of aquatic resources in Con Co’s waters are estimated at 40,000tonnes with a sustainable exploitation output of 12,000 tonnes peryear. Coral reef is of crucial importance to thesite’s biodiversity. Thus, protecting the reef is vital for sustainabledevelopment. Con Co’s coral reef is assessed as being in good condition,but overfishing and pollution have had their toll. Therefore, the reserve management board has installed a float system todelimit regions and coordinated with the Aquatic Resources Exploitationand Protection Sub-department and the border guard post on the island toconduct patrols within and around the area. A groupof volunteers that includes local residents was also set up to helppopularisation and supervision work, timely discovering activities thathave negative impacts on the reserve.-VNA In addition,the board has worked with schools in coastal communes to launch beachclean-up activities and an environment and marine biodiversityprotection contest which involved more than 2,000 students. These activities aim to improve the community’s awareness,particularly students, of protecting the environment and marinebiodiversity as well as the reserve’s goals and benefits it will create. They are also set to influence households and thelocal community, improving behaviours towards the environment and marineresources.