Villagers learn value of mangroves

For thousands of years, mangroves have thrived along the coast at Zhushan village, protecting the land from the surf and lately attracting tourists and photographers with their unique ecology.

For many villagers, though, the mangroves have become more than a beautiful buffer zone from the sea, and are a major source of income.

Yet, it was only in recent years that the locals began exploring this side of their natural, longtime protector.

Lin Dingxiu, 61, raises sea ducks. For years, he barely broke even selling the eggs, but then he got an idea.

"I found that the mangroves provide multiple food sources for sea ducks, as well as small fish, shrimp and sea snails. They are all scattered around the trees beside the sea," he said.

Lin started keeping his birds in the mangrove. Because the ducks have adequate seafood, the eggs they produce are bigger and more delicious than ordinary eggs, and they sell at a good price.

"I can sell every kilo for 24 yuan ($4) at the local market. That's several times more than (the price) for ordinary duck eggs," Lin said.

His eggs have become so well known that he no longer has to go to the market to sell them.

"Since 2009, buyers have come to my home regularly to buy eggs," he said.

"We want to buy 15 boxes of sea duck eggs from Lin Dingxiu for Spring Festival, but he can only offer us six boxes because the demand is too high," said Su Shiyi, an official in Zhushan, which is in Dongxing city in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Lin, who was packing the eggs, explained that sea duck eggs are popular during festivals, and many people buy them as gifts.

"Most of the eggs have already been reserved, and some people require as many as 30 boxes, so there is not much left now," he said.

Before moving the ducks to the mangrove about 10 years ago, Lin barely scraped by.

"Before 1998, I just kept the ducks in an enclosure, like farmers in other parts of the area did. I sold eggs in the morning, and in the evening I used the money to buy rice as feed for the ducks," he said. "The money I made selling eggs went almost entirely to buying the rice."

He had been on the verge of giving up, but now he makes around 200,000 yuan a year with the sea ducks. "The mangroves really helped me a lot," he added.

About 400 families in Zhushan farm sea ducks and shrimp in the mangrove, said Su Shiyi, the village head.

In addition to crop and poultry farming, the villagers beside the vast mangroves have turned their attention to the increasing number of tourists flocking to enjoy the scenery.

Lin Dinghan, who used to raise shrimp in his pond, opened a restaurant in 2010 to cater to the rising number of visitors.

Compared with shrimp farming, he said, a restaurant is less risky and offers a more stable and higher income. The local government has provided preferential tax policies for restaurants.

"I opened the restaurant in 2010, and by the end of last year I had made 300,000 yuan," Lin Dinghan said.

He now rents his 1-hectare pond to another villager and focuses on the restaurant. To cope with growing number of tourists, he employs three waiters and a chef.

Last year, about 100,000 tourists visited the village and mangroves, Su estimates. Many of them came from neighboring provinces.

"We paid no attention to the value of the mangroves before. Most of the villagers started the use of them only after 2009," Su, the official from Zhushan village, said, adding that many villagers have risen from poverty by raising sea ducks or shrimp, or opening restaurants or hotels for the tourists.

"In addition to exploiting the mangroves, the villagers are eager to protect this precious resource because they know that it is vital to their home and livelihood," Su said.

Fishermen are careful not to harm the mangroves when they put out to sea, and young trees are planted there every year, he said.

Lin Dinghan, the restaurant owner, has planted 2 hectares of mangrove near the village since 1991.

The village has also set up a team to make the villagers aware of the importance of the mangroves and ensure that they conserve the resource.

"Our efforts to protect the mangroves have produced results," Su said.

"The rising number of tourists to our village is an indicator showing the mangroves are well preserved."