Hoi An City begins to 'quell the chaos' in Cam Thanh coconut forest

Half a year after the coconut forest destruction incident at a tourism business was discovered in Cam Thanh coconut forest, Hoi An city authorities asked the violators to dismantle it themselves.

Scene of coconut forest destruction at Cam Thanh Coconut Forest Ecotourism and Tourism One Member Co., Ltd. - Photo: BD

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online on the afternoon of March 4, a leader of Hoi An City said that he had assigned the People's Committee of Cam Thanh commune to disseminate a plan to handle violations and restore order in Cam Thanh coconut forest (Bay Mau coconut forest).

Since the morning of March 4, people in areas adjacent to the coconut forest and densely populated areas in Cam Thanh commune have received notices requesting them to voluntarily dismantle the construction and remedy the encroachment on state land.

In the announcement, Cam Thanh commune said that after the information dissemination period, any case that does not proactively correct the problem will be handled by the city's working group according to regulations.

According to statistics, there are currently hundreds of cases of illegal cutting and encroachment on water coconut forest land in Cam Thanh. More seriously, many businesses have people cut down coconut trees, filled them with dirt and then fenced them off to make tourist areas.

In recent years, Cam Thanh coconut forest has attracted hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. Because of huge profits, business owners have disregarded regulations, negatively affecting the natural coconut forest ecosystem in the buffer zone of Cu Lao Cham World Biosphere Reserve.

Cam Thanh coconut forest seen from above - Photo: BD

Although the coconut forest is located close to the commune headquarters, the government has not managed it closely. Many businesses have violated the law and been fined, but the violations have recurred with more serious consequences.

In March 2024, based on information provided by reporters, a working group of the People's Committee of Cam Thanh commune inspected and discovered that Cam Thanh Coconut Forest Ecotourism and Tourism One Member Co., Ltd. had cut down natural coconut trees and dumped rubbish to encroach on a large area of ​​forest land.

From this incident, the Chairman of Hoi An City People's Committee requested a general review and inspection. Recently, Hoi An City has established a steering committee and made a plan to handle the chaotic situation in Cam Thanh coconut forest.

"The spirit is to deal with businesses first to deter and set an example. It is the businesses that are causing the most damage and negatively affecting the overall management. If Hoi An does not deal with this from now on, the future of the coconut forest will no longer exist" - a leader of Hoi An city said.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thanh-pho-hoi-an-bat-dau-dep-loan-o-rung-dua-cam-thanh-20250304172544958.htm