Rapid Assessment of the Gulf of Mottama(East Coast)

By
Dr. Bishnu B. Bhandari, Ms. Reiko Nakamura,
Mr. KimihikoMaekawa & Dr. Pyae Phyo Aung

Ramsar Center Japan&
Biodiversity & Nature Conservation Association2017

Published by Ramsar Center Japan
2-10-3 Minami-Kugahara, Ota-ku
Tokyo 146-0084, Japan.
Tel: +81-3-3758-7926
E-mail: ramsarcj.nakamura@nifty.com
http://rcj.o.oo7.jp/
Publication year: 2017
Copyright: Ramsar Center Japan 2017
Suggested Citation
Bishnu B. Bhandari, Reiko Nakamura, KimihikoMaekawa, & Pyae Phyo Aung (2017). Rapid Assessmentof the Gulf of Mottama (East Coast). Tokyo: Ramsar Center Japan.

This publication was supported by Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund (KNCF).

2

Contents
1. Gulf of Mottama & its Location
2. Special Fauna & Floraa. Fishesb. Birdsc. Seagrasses
d. Mangrovese. Mammals
f. Benthos
g. Coral Reef
3. Management Initiatives
4. Coastal Village & Livelihoods
5. One Night at the Sandflat
6. Major Threats
7. Visit to Kyaikhtiyo
8. WWD Celebration at Moeyungyi
9. Reference…… …… …… 4…… …… …… 5…… …… …… 5…… …… …… 5…… …… …… 6…… …… …… 6…… …… …… 7…… …… …… 7…… …… …… 8…… …… …… 8…… …… …… 8…… …… …… 11…… …… …… 13…… …… …… 15…… …… …… 15…… …… …… 17

Annex I: Important Waterbird Species…… …… …… 18
Annex II: Common Waterbird Species…… …… …. .. 19
Annex III: Most Frequently Traded Fish Species …… …… 20++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++
Some Acronyms
BANCA= Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association

CLCMGM
EAAFP= Community-led Coastal Management in the Gulf of Mottama= East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership

EESC= Environmental Education and Sustainability Center

GOM
IBA
KNCF

= Gulf of Mottama= Important Bird Area
= Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund

MONREC= Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation

NAG= Network Activities GroupNWCD= Nature & Wildlife Conservation Division

SDC= Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation

WWD= World Wetlands Day

3

Rapid Assessment of the Gulf of Mottama1(East Coast)
Ms. Reiko Nakamura2, Mr.KimihikoMaekawa3
5
Mr. Pyae Phyo Aung4& Dr. Bishnu B. Bhandari

Gulf of Mottama & Its Location
The Gulf of Mottama, named after the port city of Mottama (erstwhile Martaban) is situated at
the eastern coastal region of the Bay of Bengal. It is an arm of the Andaman Sea which lies at thesouthern end of Myanmar.
The bell-shaped Gulf is part of the Ayeyarwaddy Delta Costal Zone in Myanmar. It is about 104
miles (166 km; 1 mile = 1.6 km) away from Yangon and can be reached through road (5 hours),
train (7 hours) and cruise.
The Gulf, which is rich in resources but high in poverty, bounds Mon State, Bogo Region,
Yangon Region and Ayeyarwaddy Region (See the map below). The area within a straight line
between the southern point of Pyapon Township in Ayeyarwaddy Region and the southern pointof Mudon Township in Mon State is what we call here, the Gulf of Mottama (GOM). Its area is441,784 acre (178,848 ha; 1 ha = 2.47 acre) (Saw Mon Theint & Pyae Phyo Aung, nd).
Surrounded by Yangon Region in the west, Mon State in the east, Bago Region in the north andthe Andaman Sea in the south provides livelihoods to millions of people and supports a variety
of aquatic species of fauna including shorebird, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Calidris pygmaea(Panwad Wongthong & True, 2015; Wikipedia; Pyae Phyo Aung, 2016).
The Gulf included in the Yangon River & its west is called "West Coast"; the section in Bogo
Region and northern part of Mon State is called "Central Coast" and the southern coast of Mon
State is called "East Coast".
Major townships in the coastal areas of this Gulf are Kyaikhto, Bilin, Thaton, Paung, Chaungzon,
Mawlamyine, and Mudon in Mon State; Kawa and Thanatpin in Bago Region; and Kungyangon,
Kawhmu, Kyauktan, Thongwa, and Kayanin Yangon Region, and Dedaye and Paypon in
Ayeyarwady Region.
The GOM is the most extensive and most significant intertidal mudflat system in the world. The Gulf
was created by the discharge of waters and sediments from three rivers; Yangon, Sittaung andThanlwin. The sediments are distributed by tides that come two times a day.

1

The rapid assessment of the Gulf of Mottama was undertaken from the 29th January to 3rd February 2017. The financial support
received from KNCF is greatly appreciated. Special thanks are due to BANCA, its staff and the fourth author, U Pyae Phyo Aung.
2
Secretary-General, Ramasar Center Japan, Tokyo, Japan (Email: reiko.nakamura@nifty.com )3
Senior Consultant, Intem Consulting Inc. Tokyo, Japan (Email:maekawa.k@intemjapan.co.jp)
4
Program Manager, BANCA, Yangon, Myanamar (Email: pyaephyo.banca.org@gmail.com )5
President, Nepal Wetlands Society, Kathmandu, Nepal. (Email: bishnunws@gmail.com )4

The Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia mentions that tides are the rise and fall of sea levels
caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon, the Sun and therotating Earth. The tides originate in the oceans every 12 hours and move gradually towards thecoast line.The height of the tides ranges between 4–7 m at the Elephant Point in the western
GOM. During spring tide, when the tidal range is around 6.6 m, the turbid zone covers an areaof more than 45,000 km2 making it one of the largest perennially turbid zones of the world's
oceans. During neap tide, with tidal range of 2.98 m, the highly turbid zone coverage drops to
15,000 km2. The edge of the highly turbid zone changes back-and-forth in sync with every tidal
cycle by nearly 150 km (Panwad Wongthong & True, 2015:6).
The area covered by the Yangon river in north and Thanlwin river in south, particularly from
Suppany Pagoda (at Sittaung Village of Kyaikto Township of the upper Gulf area, which isabout 16 km up north from the Sittaung Bridge) to Mawlamyine (including the Belu Kyun)of Mon State at south (6-10 km either sides from the coast line) is proposed as a Ramsar site
(Panwad Wongthong & True, 2015). It covers an area of 33,920 ha or about 19% of thetotal area of the Gulf, as shown in the map (Saw Mon Theint & Pyae Phyo Aung, nd).
According to U Pyae Phyo Aung of BANCA, the GOM is under the jurisdiction of, andmanaged by, the Mon State Government; Yangon
and Bago Regional Governments, and General
Administrative Department.
Special Fauna & Flora
The distinctive types of fauna that are biologicallyimportant in the Gulf area are briefly described below.
(1) Fishes
Tint Wai et. al (2014) reported 39 species of fishes
representing 26 families from the east coast of the GOM
in Mon State. According to the report, none belongs to thethreatened status. Nor, does the report mention their IUCN conservation status. However, the reportmentions 8 species of least concern status and one species named Spadenose Shark, Scoliodon
laticaudus Muller & Henle (1838) under the threatened status.
According to personal communication with Prof. Dr. San Tha Htun of the Department of Marine
Sciences, Mawlamyine University, the flagship fish species of the GOM are;
1. Barranmundi (Giant Sea Perch), Lates calanrifer
2. Spotted Croaker, Pterotolithus maculates
3. Indian Threadfin, Polydactylus indicus
4. Toli Shad, Tenulosa toli
(2) Birds

The GOM is the most important wintering
ground in the world for the criticallyendangered migratory bird, Spoon-billed
Sandpiper, Calidris pygmaea (Pyae Phyo
Aung, 2016). In 2004 the status of the Spoonbilled Sandpiper was vulnerable but in 2008 it
was upgraded to critically endangered status.
5

Globally these birds numbers only 500. In Myanmar their number is about 189-220 and they
are found in 4 sites, Nanthar Island, Delta Region, GOM and Taninntharyi Region(PyaePhyo Aung, personal communication). GOM hosts half of the global population of
Spoon-billed Sandpiper in wintering season.
Also, the Gulf is a wintering ground for over a dozen globally threatened species of migratory
shorebird (See Annex I: Important Waterbird Species). According to EAAFP, about 200,000
migratory waterbirds winter here from October to mid-April. Over 70 waterbird species havebeen recorded at the site, including six species of ducks, 31 species of waders and 16 species ofterns or gulls. Other important migratory species include Spotted Greenshank, Great Knot andLesser Adjutant Stork (See Annex II: Common Waterbird Species).
(3) Seagrasses

Soe-Htunet al. (2001) have documented the distribution of 9 species of seagrasses along thecoastal regions of Myanmar. But no species is found in the GOM. According to them seagrasses
are totally absent in the Ayeyarwaddy Delta and the GOM. The reasons are attributed to (1) thehigh turbidity of water (caused by two rivers; the Sittaung river and Thanlwin rivers, which
reduces light penetration that in turn causes the absence of seagrasses; (2) hyposalinity of thebrackish water which also prohibits the luxuriant growth of seagrasses; and (3) the predominanceof mud-or silt-covered shallow flats which moves seawards at a rate of about 50 m per year.
Regarding the absence of seagrass vegetation, Kochi University also confirms that sub-tidal
vegetation of sea grasses is totally absent in the Ayeyarwaddy Delta and the Gulf of Mottama(GOM) coastal region. The reason is attributed to turbid water caused by the sediments of the
Sittaung and Thalwin rivers (Bulletin of Marine Science & Fish, Kochi University No 21,
2001, pp. 13-22).
However, in their PowerPoint presentation on the Myanmar Coastal Region, Soe-Htun & Tint
Swe (2014) have reported the presence of only one species of sea grass Halophila beccarii in the
Ayeyarwady Delta (west coast) and Mon State coastal zone (east coast) of the GOM. [Theauthors of this report believe that this contradiction needs to be verified.]
It is out of place to mention the functions of seagrasses. The root-like stems of seagrasses stabilize thesea bottom as well as shoreline. Seagrass beds filter and export organic nutrients to the nearby
ecosystem of coral reef and mangroves. They also serve as feeding, spawning, nursery and breeding
grounds for marine invertebrates and vertebrates (Soe-Htun et al. 2001:13). Both vertebrates andinvertebrates need to be further studied in detail.
In another study, Aye Mon Sein et. al (2003) have reported that seeweed, Prophyra suborbiculata
Kjellman, identified as P. crispate Kjellman in Myanmar grows well in the intertidal zone of tropicaland sub-tropical waters of Asia but not along the Ayeyarwaddy Delta and the coastal area of theGOM due to perhaps the hyposalinity of water coming from major rivers, namely Sittaung andThanlwin.
(4) Mangroves

The direct uses of mangrove include timbers for construction and fuel (charcoal andfirewood), providing nurseries and artisan products. Besides, mangroves provide various
ecological goods and services such as protecting coastal lands, settlements and infrastructure
6

against the effects of cyclones and tidal surges. Panwad Wongthong & True (2015) report thatthe western side of the Gulf (Bago and Yangon Regions) had extensive areas of mangrove
forests but in the eastern side (Mon State) of the Gulf, only remnants of two species ofmangoves Avicenia spp and Nypaspp are found (Panwad Wongthong & True, 2015; San Than
Htun, Personal Communication 2017).
The depletion and degradation of mangroves is comparatively greater in Ayeyarwady region
than in other areas due to higher population, easier accessibility to the forest and thedevastated impacts of Cyclone Nargis (Hutn Paw Oo, 2016). The common species reported
from the Chaungtha Township area of the Ayeyarwady region are (1) Xylocarpus granatum(Pile-ohn), (2) X. moluccensis (Kyana), (3) Avicenia officinalis (Thame), (4) Rhizophoramucronata (Byu-chidaukAma), (5) R. candelaria (Byu-chidaukApho), (6) Kandelia candel(Byu-baing-dauk), (7) Ceriops decandra (Madama) and (8) Heritiera fomes (Kanaso) (UHtun Paw Oo, Powerpoint Presentation, 2017)(5) Mammals

Panwad Wongthong & True (2015), on the basis of anecdotal evidences suggest that the
Gulf supports marine mammal, Finless Porpoise, Neophocaena phocaenoides which isranked as vulnerable or critically endangered in the IUCN Red List. Like in other Asian
countries, the population of Finless Porpoise in Myanmar is affected by habitat loss anddegradation, entanglement in fishing gears, boat traffic and pollution.
Maung Maung Lwin (2007) in his article Conservation Status of Leatherback Turtles in
Myanmar from the Department of Fisheries reported the sighting of the nesting of the
Leatherback Turtle in Andaman Island, GOM and the Bay of Bengal but it is almost in
extinct now in Myanmar. A dead leatherback turtle was found in 1976 and another in 1993.
It can be said that the turtle is history in the GOM. The cause of death was attributed tofishing activity.
"According to the report of Marine Turtle Conservation Volunteers, a nesting Leatherback Turtle with 82
eggs was found on Ashaet Phya Beach, Bogalay Township, in Ayeyarwady Division on 13 August 2007 at
4:15 PM. Her carapace length was about 1.85 meters. After nesting, she returned to the sea the same day at
6:30 PM. About 51 eggs were sent to Htaung Gyi Tan Beach Station in Bogalay Township on 14 August
2007. Some 27 of the eggs were found to be undeveloped. The rest were destroyed during the searchingprocess." (http://www.ioseaturtles.org/pom_detail.php?id=61)(6) Benthos
U Soe-Htun of the Mawlamyine University, in the outstanding Research Paper 2010 titled The
Seaweed Resources of Myanmar (http://www.ioseaturtles.org/pom_detail.php?id=61) has reported
229 species of marine Algae along the 3 coastal regions; Rakhine Coastal Region, Ayeyarwaddy
Delta & GOM and Tanintharyi. In Ayeyarwaddy Delta & GOM coastal regions he has reported 11
species of Marine Benthic Green Algae, 3 species of Marine Benthic Brown Algae and 22 species ofMarine Black Red Algae. The commonly found Red Seaweed is Catenella nipae. Also, he hasreported that these species Colpomenia, Amphiroa, Gracilaria, Catenella, Laurencia andAcanthophora are commonly found in these regions.

7(7) Coral Reef:

In his PowerPoint Presentation titled Status and Challenges of Coral Reef Monitoring in
Myanmar, Zau Lunn reports the presence of only three species of coral reefs in the
Ayeyarwaddy Delta Coastal region. Soe-Htun et al. (2001) further reported that Seagrass,which is called Leik-Sar-Phat-Myet in Myanmar is a food for marine turtles such as the green,
Chelonia mydas, the loggerhead, Caretta caretta; the Hawksbill, Eremochetys imbricate; theLeatherhead, Dermochelys coriccea. Based on this finding we can also come out that there
are no turtles in the GOM. Or in other words, marine turtles can't be found in a place where
there is no seagrass.
Management Initiatives(1) Since 2011 Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA), the species guardian of theSpoon-billed Sandpiper in Myanmar, has been working with the Ministry of Natural Resources andEnvironmental Conservation (MONREC) and Mon State Ministry for Forestry and Mining to pushthe Gulf for its inclusion in the Ramsar site (Myint KayThi, 2015) . It has been regularly
updating the Ramsar Information Sheet for the nomination (Panwad Wongthong & True, 2015).The
BANCA is using a special software called Special Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) to monitor
the wildlife in the area. The BANCA also has established its field office in Theingu Village of Bilin
Township. The office is called Environmental Education and Sustainability Center (EESC).
(2) Several organizations (MONREC, HELVETAS, IUCN, NAG & BANCA) are engaged in theimplementation of the 10-year long community-led management plan for the conservation of the Gulfarea (SDC, 2016).
(3) The MONREC and the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) are working together todesignate the area as a Flyway Network Site [EAAF117] covering over 195,000 ha. of the greater GOM.
(4) The GOM is also designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) of Myanmar in June 2014 in World
Bird Data Base, Important Bird Area in Danger (IBA in Danger) status by BirdLife International 2015
and Asian Bird Data zone for Myanmar.

Coastal Village and Livelihoods
On the 29th January, we were able to visit two villages; Kyarsi Aung and Zoke Ka Li, which were
coastal villages as their daily activities are affected by the movement of tides. According to SDC(2016) coastal villages are the small villages in Myanmar situated within a short distance from thecoast. The main occupations are either fisheries or rice cultivation or both but mostly dominated byfisheries. Fisheries are suspended in the rainy season due to weather conditions and turbid water.
These villages become island in the rainy season and dry land in summer (streams filled with sand,and salt marshes) resulting in boat transportation in the rainy season and on foot or vehicles in thewinter. There is a great scarcity of freshwater in summer. Regarding vegetation, mangroves or
associated species are the dominating vegetation because of the circulation of salt, brackish andfreshwaters. In short, the life of the coastal village is determined by sea tides (both ebb and neaptides).
A quick participatory assessment of people and life of Kyarsi Aung and Zoke Ka Li Villages, as
discussed in the community meetings provided us some information on the general socio-economic
status of the coastal villages. The following are the major points of the meetings.
8

1. Kyarsi Aung Village consisting of 85 houses has
about 99 children, who go to the primary schoolin the village and many of them complete only
up to Grade 4. Villagers can't afford theschooling of their children because of no highschool nearby and economic hardships.
2. The situation of "Too much water in the rainyseason but no water in summer" has caused agreat shortage of freshwater in summer. In dry
season, some benevolent people (Ahlushin, social
workers) bring freshwater from the city anddistribute 10 gallons per households. Sometime,the villagers have to bear the transportation costand food for Ahlushin. In order to address this issue, the BANCA with financial assistancefrom the Darwin Initiative has built ponds in these villages, one each to collect rain water for
drinking purpose. These ponds have mitigated their water problems to some extent. Besides,
in Zoke Ka Li village, a 3 km long check dam is under construction (with two excavators inoperation) to protect their rice fields from high tide and the intrusion of saline water. The
check dam along with channel and road on the side are being constructed with assistancefrom the Ministry of Irrigation.
3. Fuelwood is a big and serious problem in the villages because no vegetation grows in thisvillage due to saline water.
4. The village does not have any Kala people. The Kla is a general term for migrants, especiallythe people of Nepali and Indian origin.
5. Major economic activities include fisheries, renting boats and farming, while others work for
cash. Given the choice to economic activities, people would choose fisheries as it gives
regular income whereas farming gives results at
the end of the season. Also, it would beinteresting to note their viewpoint that famine
occurs when farming fails but no famine in sea
fisheries excepting natural calamities with low
harvest.
6. Generally fishermen borrow money forrepair and maintenance of their boat from the
middlemen amounting something like 200,000
Kyat upon the conditions that they sell their fish
to them at the cheaper price. Then the lenders sell
the fish at higher price. Generally fishermen are being immersed in debt. The loan is used forboat repair, net and other accessories. Debt is a serious problem for the fishermen. In Zoke
Ka Li, villagers borrow money from the cooperative as well.
7. The best season for fishing is October-January and April –June including rainy season.
8. Fisheries can be divided into two types;
a. Daily fishing: small fishing done by both male and female. Sometime, females do
crabbing as well.
b. Medium fishing: fishermen go to sea for a period of 5-6 days with their ice box. They
return home and sell their catch in Kyaikhto.
9. To our question on "What time of the day do the fishermen go to sea for fishing?" they told
us that their schedule is determined by tides, which come 2 times a day. We were informedthat today they are expecting tides at 6 pm. Tides make a special sound. To our next question
on the catching of fish species, the villagers responded as many as 10 species of fishes they9

have caught over a period of time. Regarding their monthly income, villagers told us that
their average monthly income ranges from USD 200 to 300. However, the highest income isabout USD 600-700 per month.
10. Ritual activities include some offerings to boat every month. They worship when they get
new net. In June, they celebrate a festival collectively. Fresh coconuts and bananas areoffered to the superpower. In case these offerings are not fresh, then the offering is
considered incomplete and fresh ones are offered again to the superpower.
11. Concerning the problems they are facing in the area, the following are the major ones.
a. Lack of technological and geographical knowledge, especially alternate livelihoodsc. Suffering from high interest rate from the middlemen.
d. Decreasing annual harvest mainly due to the use of the net of small mesh by theprivate fisher. They catch all the fishes including juveniles.
e. Schooling problem for their children
f. Great shortage of freshwater especially in summer
g. Transportation problem (both in rainy as well as dry seasons)
12. HELVETAS, Network Activities Group & IUCN prepared a 10 year long community-led
participatory Management Plan for the Gulf of Mottama in 2014. The Project was undertakenwith support from The Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation (SDC) of the Swiss
Embassy. Its overarching goal is "Biodiversity of the GOM conserved and sustainably
developed to benefit human community that depend on it". Three outcomes and responsible
agencies as follows.
a. Biodiversity conservation by IUCN
b. Resilient livelihood by HELVETAS
c. Sustainable fisheries management by Network Activities Group.
13. The Project also prepared a report titled Livelihoods and Fisheries Management in the Gulf ofMottama, Myanmar. Its brief summary highlights are presented in Box A under below
Livelihoods in the Coastal Villages.

Box A: Livelihoods in the Coastal Villages
1.
2.
3.

4.
5.

6.

7.

8.

Ten coastal villages out of 83 in the GOM were studied employing rapid participatory methods.
The total population of the area is 62,000 enumerated from 25,419 households. About 34% ofthem are fisher households with the remaining as farming, livestock and wage earning ones.
According to landownership categorization, 16% owned land over 20 acres, whereas 26% owned
less than 10 acres and the remaining 58% owned no land. The landless groups are engaged infaming, fishing & wage-earning activities.
The accessibility to these villages is by vehicle in the dry season and only by boat on the stream
and artificial channel in the rainy season.
Village governance is managed by a headman elected by the community consisting of 10 groups
for 100 households. This is not for livelihood but only for day-to-day administration of thevillage. Besides, other existing groups include cooperative of 100 members, forest user group,
Village Development Committee associated with the Rural Development Department, Local
Community Group and Fishermen's Community Groups. Some villages have Parent-Teachers'
Association, Social Welfare Group, Elder's Group and Fishermen's Community Group.
The number of cows and buffalos ranges from 40 to 300 heads per village in the studied villages.
In some village they adopt the trap-and-hold method of aquaculture meaning fingerlings andjuveniles are trapped, raised and sold once they attain the right size.
Most villages have primary schools, while a few schools have been promoted to post primaryschools. Many students drop out of primary school due to transportation difficulties and inability
to pay their monthly fees. None of the village has health center excepting auxiliary midwife.
Health problems are water-related particularly diarrhea, gastric, bacteria, mosquito fever andbirth & delivery cases.

10

9.

The livelihood calendar of the coastal villages is as follows.
 Most villagers depend on the mix of activities of fisheries, farming and wage earning.
 Rain-fed farming is the main occupation and is done from April to November. The
second crop of vegetables, green pulses and beans are grown from December to March.
 No irrigation structures exist in these villages.
 Boats are used for fishing on sea, whereas some people fish in the creek without boats.
Crabs are also collected using various fishing gears and nets. Fishing with large boat
occurs all the year round. Season is no problem for these boats. People use small meshgear, which is considered illegal.
 Fish and fish processing (fish, crab collection & shrimp cultivation) take place mainly
in dry season (December to March).
 Factories process fish & shrimps as dry products, paste or animal feed.
 Three cold plants are currently engaged in the export of Rosey Jew Fish (Nga PokeThin) to China. The most frequently traded fish species are given in Annex III alongwith their local names, trade names, scientific names and types of fishes traded.
 Fuelwood collection is only for local use. They are collected mostly from the mangrove
forest and in some villages people collect the drift woods that come floating on theriver.
 Livestock rearing includes only of small scale raising like pigs, chicks, ducks, buffalos
and cows. Besides wealthy villagers run small shops as well.
 Villagers are unemployed during wet season, especially between transplantation of rice
and its harvest. This slack season is the push factor for the migration of the people toother areas including Thailand.
 The local money lenders charge 7-8% interests without collateral and 4-5% withcollateral.
10. There is a great shortage of land due to coastal erosion, sedimentation, unequal distribution ofland, illegal occupation of newly formed land for fish/pawn ponds and then conversion into
farmland and expensive registration system.
11. There is a great shortage of water and variation of weather patterns contributes to common
occurrence of flooding, storm, draught and cyclone.
12. Poor drainage and sea water intrusion has caused the salinity of soil, which is a major challenge.
13. Traders and money lenders lend money to fishers to purchase their harvest and make profit by
selling them in the local as well regional markets.
Source: Livelihoods & Fisheries Management in the Gulf of Mottama, Myanmar (HELVETAS, Network
Activity Group & IUCN with support from SDC: July 2014)

One Night at the Sandflat
1. After our fruitful meeting with Prof. Dr. San Tha Htun of the Department of Marine Sciences of
Mawlamyine University on the 30th January we drove back to the Environmental Education andSustainability Center (EESC) at Theingu Village of Bilin Township and picked up our stuff forthe night stay on the boat in the Sittaung River estuary. The van took us to the village of Koe Tan
Su Village.
2. Our guide was U Thaw Phyoe Shwe, Program Officer of BANCA. Driving through the highway
and then rural roads with sand and mud. The van could not cross the stream at Kyarsi Aung
Village. Therefore, we left the van and rode the buffalo-driven cart to cross a small stream andreached Koe Tan Su at 6:30 pm. By then tides have already arrived at the village. And threeboats were ready to carry us to the estuary.
3. The informant told us that every 12 hours, tides come to the village. Today at 6:30 am, 6:30 pm.
In the lunar days, tides come every day about half an hour behind. And this cycle remains inaction for 15 days.
11

4. The team was ushered us with the help of torch lights to ride the boat and our journey started atabout 7:15 pm. It was pitch dark and only lights would be seen far away. After having cruised
about 4-5 km off the village, our boat could not float any more as the tides were receding back.
So, we had to stop and anchor our boats each other.
5. Our guide U Thaw Phyoe Shwe and boatmen jointly prepared dinner for us. Outside, it was pitch
dark and full of tranquility. So we had nothing to do excepting going into our sleeping bag.
6. At about 5 am in the morning, the gentle roaring of the tides was heard, followed by the splashingof tides against our boats. These splashes caused our boats to shake. The boatmen were already inthe position to row them forward. At about 6 am the boatmen began to row the boats andtravelled for another 5 km by then the tides were low and disappearing slowly and made our boatstop at 8 am. So boats were anchored in the middle of sandflat. We were grounded there until thenext tides came at about 5 pm. Breakfast was prepared. We ate our breakfast of coffee, bread andnoodles. Then we walked bare-foot around to feel, see and observe the sandflat. Very manysmall crabs were seen on our walk. We also met 2 medium-sized boats which arrived there onlyin this morning and anchored on the mudflat. After a short observation of these boats we returned
to our boat to eat lunch and then rested for whole afternoon.
7. In the course of conversation with our guide U Thaw, we were able to know the 7 types of crabs
found in the area. They are (1) Brown Big Crab (eaten by humans), (2) Small Sand Crab (eaten
by birds, Spoon-billed Sandpiper and shorebirds), (3) Medium Red Crab (eaten by some people),(4) Small Red Crab (or Horse Crab which runs very fast), (5) Small Brown Crab (eaten by ducks),(6) Small Black and White Crab (rare but found in salty water only) and (7) Horseshoe Crab. He
also informed us that there are plenty of frogs (small and big), snakes about 3-4 species, like thewater snake, flat-tailed snake, brown & white snake and the black & yellow snake (this species isfound only in salty water).
8. On our question on turtle, U Thaw told us that he has never seen turtle in the area. It was later
confirmed by the boatmen as well.
9. In the mean time we were able to interview one of the boatman U Bo Bo. See the interview in
Box B below.
10. In a scorching heat under the tent on the boat, we were eagerly waiting for the arrival of tides. At
about 4 pm we heard the sound of the mildly roaring tides. The boatmen began to take bath withthe freshwater that they carried in the plastic
containers. And we were watching the coming of
the roaring and glaring tides one after another toreach their destination. The first tide crossed ourcamp at about 5:10 pm. With the gentle roaring offoam of water, which transformed like a seasonal
stream, water began to splash against the boat andshaked it with big push. Within minutes water filled
the area and water was everywhere making us feel
as if we were in the middle of a big sea. At about
5:20 the area was full of water enough for us to row
the boat. Then we headed back to the village of
KoeTan Su.

12Box B: Daily Routine of a Fisherman
1. I am U Bo Bo from Koe Tan Su Village. I am 26 years old. I am married and we have one boy.
Previously I was a farmer. I quit farming a few years ago as I was all the-time busy with hard
work. So I changed my livelihood activities. I borrowed
money from a local money-lender to buy a boat for 1
million Kyats and spent another 50,000 Kyats for its
accessories and decoration. I am paying 10% interests
annually to the lender. (In case one can't pay the loan ontime, the debtor has to pay the interest of 15% annuallyin the second year and 20 % interest rate in the thirdyear. Generally the borrower is able to pay back theloan in a year). After having purchased the boat, my life
is governed by sea tides. If managed well, then the boat
has a life of 10 years. The boat is made up of hard wood
called Kohaung Mu, Anisoptera scaphula.,
2. I got a license from the government @ 6000 Kyat. The fee depends on the size of the boat and thequality of fish net.
3. I generally get up at 7 am and carry water for the families. I go to the kitchen garden and paddy
field. Generally at 8 am, I eat my breakfast and visit the neighbors to play billiards or to see thecock fight, a popular game played for the bet generally of 50,000 Kyats. (A good male cock costs
about 30,000 Kyats. Generally, banana, rice & beans are fed to cocks so that they become
stronger and aggressive in fighting.)
4. After lunch I take short rest and then I get ready to go to sea as I have to spend at least a night on
the sea. I clean my boat and engine, repair ropes and roofs and check my boat. I also make surethat enough food, water and logistics are there. I eat my super and get ready to go for fishing. As
soon as the tides come, I start my boat for two to several days fishing.
5. I use long net and hires one laborer for which I have to pay 50,000 Kyats a month including his
food while in the sea. Since I do not have time at home, my wife sells the fish in the local market.
6. I go to the sea for a period of 15 days at low tides. The length of the stay depends on the size ofthe tides; long time at low tides and short time at high tides.
7. I earns like 10,000 to 20,000 Kyats a day. The minimum of 10,000 Kyats is necessary for mysurvival. I need to earn about 4-4.5 lakh (one lakh equals to 100,000) Kyat in a month.
8. This is my daily routine when I am at home. There is a change in my routine when I am fishing inthe sea. In the sea my movement is determined by tides.
9. I feel that sea fishing is a dangerous work due to high tide, high wind and threats coming from theillegal fishers who always use the net of small mesh to scoop everything including fingerlings &juveniles.
- Interview taken on the boat while waiting for the tide to comeon the afternoon of the 1st January 2017 .

Major Threats
The major threats to biodiversity in the GOM are bird trapping, hunting and poisoning. These
activities are illegal and are believed to be the most acute cause of the dramatic global decline of
the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper. Besides, illegal fishing is another cause of
decline of fish population as people use tiny small mesh sized net during low tide to collectfingerlings as well juveniles.

13Whatever, hunting is the major issue in the Gulf area. The hunters employ mist net,chemicals (such as potassium cyanide, pesticides) and snares. The BANCA staff conducted
the survey of the area and identified some 63 hunters that fall into the categories ofprofessional, seasonal and occasional hunters. With the help of the community leaders andsocial mobilizers, these hunters were persuaded to take part in conservation activities andwere given training on fisheries, livestock & pig farming, chicken & duck rearing and otheragricultural activities. Following the training, each was given a package of Kyat 500,000 topurchase the boat, fishing nets and other accessories. Now these hunters have turn into
fishermen and duck raisers. Plus they also help move forward conservation activities in thearea.
In this way, many hunters turn into fishermen. One of the examples is that of U Win Maung,
who was a life-long hunter, turn into a successful fisherman. How he became a fisherman isgiven in Box C.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Box C: I am now a bird hunter-turn-fisherman- U Win Maung
Zoke Ka Li, Bilin TownshipMy name is Win Maung, a resident of Zoke Ka Li Village. I spent almost 3/4th of mylife on bird hunting for my livelihood as well as that of the family. I was engaged inthis occupation from the very beginning as I did
not have any knowledge, resources, experienceand even will-power to adopt new economic
activities. During the bird-hunting period, I killed
so many birds that it is impossible for me to put
them in numbers.
On one day I happened to attend a meeting withthe community peoples which was organized by
the BANCA. They explained to us the importanceof birds, drinking water, forests, sanitation andother natural resources so as to keep our natural
surrounding healthy and productive. But I did nottake it seriously as my livelihood was bird-hunting. For me and my family, bird
hunting means food and other basic needs. In other words, bird-hunting was the main
source of our survival and sustenance. No bird hunting means no income and thereby
no bread and butter for that day. So I did not pay any attention to their advice andideas. However, I continued attending such kinds of community meetings.
After having attended a series of meetings, I came to know that alternate means of
livelihoods would be offered to those who would quit bird hunting in the area. Then I
explored the situation with the BANCA. Then they persuaded me and I wasconvinced to change my occupation to adopt fisheries. I needed some basic
knowledge, technology and support of the family and communities. And I was given
a boat and gears needed to adopt fisheries. So I decided to change the occupation. I,
not only quit bird-hunting but also decided to get involved whole-heartedly inconservation. This inspired me to be an active member of the BANCA.
Many thanks to the BANCA and its staff members for giving me practicalknowledge, skills and essential resources such as boats,, nets and other accessories to14

enter into this fish catching endeavor. I am now happy of what I am doing and havecome the member of the BANCA and support them in their efforts towards thesustainability and resilience of livelihood, community life and village system as awhole.
In the area there are now conservation groups, each group of 12 persons. They are the ones
who monitor bird hunting and give counseling to the hunter-cum-fishermen in the area.
Visit to Kyaikhtiyo
Mon State has a sacred pilgrimage site, popularly known as Kyaikhtiyo (in Enlglish the Holy Rock).
Thousands of people, particularly the Buddhists from all over the country throng there on apilgrimage. We were told that on the full moon night, so many visitors and tourists throng there thatthe entire place is occupied by people doing meditation or invoking the Mantra. There is hardly any
space left around for the visitors.
The meaning of the place goes this way; Kyaik
means Pagoda, Yo means carry on the head andIthi means hermit, thus the Pagoda in the hermit's
head. The rock pagoda is situated at 1100 meter
above the sea level on the top of the Kyikhtiyo hill.
The Pagoda can be reached either driving or
trekking an 11 km long trail. Private vehicles are
not allowed to go there. Therefore, special
vehicles are available for the tourists and pilgrims
at the fare of 2000 Kyats per person from thevillage of Kipun that is situated at the base of Mt.
Kyaikhtiyo. Kipun is the place from where foottrail starts for the Holy Rock.
Pilgrims and tourists have to walk bare foot on the
Holy Rock area. The sacred site is on the top of
the hill. Only males are allowed to paste gold leaf
on the rock as a sign of devotion. Each foreign
tourist and visitors are charged an entrance fee of6000 Kyat to enter the Kyaikhtiyo Archeological
Zone. This is a special archeological zone
protected by the State Government and ismanaged by the Mon State Development Affairs.

WWD Celebration at Moeyungyi
Early morning of the 2nd February the team left for Moeyungyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary in Bago
Region to participate in the celebration of the World Wetlands Day (WWD). The event was organizedby the Nature & Wildlife Conservation Division (NWCD) of the Ministry of Natural Resources andEnvironmental Conservation (MoNREC). The opening remark was made by the Union Minister ofthe MONREC with remarks from the Chief Minister of the Bago Region, the Norwegian Ambassador
to Myanmar, Her Excellency M. Tone Tinnes and Senior Advisor of the Ramsar Conservation
Secretariat, Dr. Lew Young.
15

In the ceremony, the certificate of inclusion of the Meinmahla Kyun Park in the Ramsar List wasgiven to the Government of the Union of Myanmar. The certificate was handed to Dr. Nyi Nyi Kyaw,
Director-General of Forest Department by Dr. Lew Young, Senior Advisor of the Ramsar Convention
Secretariat.
In the afternoon, the short presentations of the three Ramsar sites; Moeyungyi Wetland Wildlife
Sanctuary, Indawgyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary and Meinmahla Kyun Park by their respective park
wardens.
At the end, "An Action Plan for the Delivery of Improved Management and Wise Use of Valuable
Wetlands in Myanmar" was presented by Ramsar Wetland Experts; Dr. Bob McInnes and Prof. Dr.
Nick Davidson. The 12 priority areas included in the Action Plan are as follows.
1. National Wetland Committee
2. National Wetland Policy
3. Strategy for Ramsar Site Designation
4. Guidelines for Wetland Site Management
5. Indawgyi Demonstration Site
6. Moeyungyi Demonstration Site
7. Gold Mining Mitigation Measures
8. Immediate Site Management Needs
9. National Wetland Inventory
10. Network of Wetland Site Managers
11. Meinmahla Management Planning & Ramsar Site Designation
12. Indo-Burman Ramsar Regional Initiative (IBRRI)
After the celebration the team returned back to Yangon to take the flights back to their respective
countries.

16Reference
Aye Mon Sein, Daw; Ni ni win, Daw; San Tha Htun, U; Soe Htun, U; & Masao Ohno (2003).
Studies on Porphyra suborbiculata Kjellman (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) from Myanmar.
I. The Morphology and Life History in Culture. Reprint. Bulletin of Marine Sciencesand Fisheries, Kochi University, No 22, pp. 65-79, 2003.
Htun Paw Oo, U (2016). Status of Coastal Zone Management in Myanmar. In the Bay of Bengal:
A Forgotten Sea. The Proceeding of the Symposium on the Bay of Bengal (Editors:
Reiko Nakamura & Bishnu B. Bhandari), Yangon, Myanmar.
EAAFP.Important Species of Waterbirds in the GOM Area. Available on
http://www.eaaflyway.net/about/the-flyway/flyway-site-network/eaaf117-gulf-ofmottama/.Retrieved on 25 December 2016.
Myint Kay Thi (2015) Mon State Government Backs Ramsar Listing for Gulf of Mottama,
Myanmar Times, Monday, 09 February 2015. Also available at
http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/13035-mon-state-government-backsramsar-listing-for-gulf-of-mottama.html.Retrieved on 20 Dec 2016.
Panwad Wongthong U; and James True (2015).Updated Situation of the Gulf of Mottama:
Based on Socio-Ecological Assessment. Community-led Coastal Management in the
Gulf of Mottama Project (CLCMGM), SDC/IUCN. https://www.iucn.org/news/gulfmottama-navigating-muddy-waters. Retrieved on 20 December 2016.
Pyae Phyo Aung, U (2016). The Spoon-billed Sandpiper: A rare but much-valued visitor to
Myanmar. Mai Hsoong AIR KBZ Inflight Magazine (pp.50-52).
Saw Mon Theint, Daw and Pyae Phyo Aung, U (No date). Projects of Community Awareness in
Myanmar- Spoon-billed Sandpiper as an Example. Rufford Grantees’ Conference on
Environmental Awareness and Conservation, Natural History Museum, Yangon
Zoological Gardens, Yangon, Myanmar, 8-9 April, 2014.
SDC (2016). State/Regional Level Multi-Stakeholder Consultation on Developing Management
Plan for the Wise Use of the Gulf of Mottama. Workshop Report, 30-31 May 2016
Malwamyine.
Soe-Htu, U & Tint Sw, U (2014). The Current Status of Myanmar Marine Environments With
Particular Reference To Fisheries in Mon Coastal Waters. PPT Presentation Departmentof Marine Science Mawlamyine University 10 January, 2014.
Soe-Htun, U (2010). The Seaweed Resources of Myanmar. Outstanding Research Paper, 2010.
Conference Paper: January 2010.
Soe-Htun, U; San Tha Htun, U; Mu Mu Aye, Daw; Ni Ni Win, Daw; Lei Lei Win, Daw &Mashao Ohno (2001). Notes on Seagrasses Along Myanmar Coastal Regions. Reprint.
Bulletin of Marine Sciences and Fisheries, Kochi University, No 21, pp.13-22, 2001.
Tint Wai, U; Win Ko Ko, U; Moe Moe Myint, U; Zaw Linn Htun, U; Thaw Phyo Shwe, U;& Tint Tun, U; (2014). A Rapid Assessment of Fish & Fisheries Information in a
Part of East Coast of the Gulf of Mottama (Mon State). A Report Prepared under the
British Council Amatae Project.
Zau Lunn, U (nd). Status and Challenges of Coral Reef Monitoring in Myanmar. PPT
Presentation.

17

Annex I: Important Waterbird Species
Species
Black-headed Ibis
Black-tailed Godwit
Broad-billed Sandpiper
Common Greenshank
Common Redshank
Curlew Sandpiper
Eurasian Curlew
Great Knot
Kentish Plover
Lesser Adjutant
Lesser Sand Plover
Pacific Golden Plover
Painted Stork
Red-necked Stint
Spoon-billed Sandpiper
Spotted GreenshankSpotted Redshank

Scientific NameThreskiornis melanocephalus
Limosa limosa
Limicola falcinellus
Tringa nebularia
Tringa totanus
Calidris ferruginea
Numenius arquata
Calidris tenuirostris
Charadrius alexandrinus
Leptoptilos javanicus
Charadrius mongolus
Pluvialis fulva
Mycteria leucocephalaCalidris ruficollis
Calidris pygmaea
Tringa guttifer
Tringa guttifer

Source: http://www.eaaflyway.net/about/the-flyway/flyway-site-network/eaaf117-gulf-of-mottama/

18

Annex II: Common Waterbird Species
Species
Asian Openbill
Bar-headed Goose
Bar-tailed Godwit
Black-headed Ibis
Black-tailed Godwit
Common Redshank
Common Ringed Plover
Common Sandpiper
Common Shelduck
Common Snipe
Eurasian Curlew
Eurasian Wigeon
Garganey
Glossy Ibis
Great Egret
Great Thick Knee
Greater Sandplover
Grey Heron
Grey Plover
Grey-headed Lapwing
Indian Pond Heron
Intermediate Egret
Kentish Plover
Lesser Adjutant Stork
Lesser Sandplover
Lesser Whistling Duck
Little CormorantLittle Egret
Little Heron
Little Ringed Plover
Long-billed Dowitcher
Marsh Sandpiper
Night Heron
Nordmann’s Greenshank
Northern Greenshank
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
Pacific Golden Plover
Painted Stork
Pied Avocet
Pintail Snipe
Purple Heron
Red-Wattled Lapwing
Ruddy Shelduck
Sarus Crane
Small Pratincole
Spoon-billed Sandpiper
Spotted Redshank
Terek Sandpiper
Tufted Duck
Whimbrel

Scientific Name
Anastomus oscitans
Anser indicus
Limosa lapponica
Threskiornis melanocephalus
Limosa limosa
Tringa tetanus
Charadrius hiaticula
Tringa (Actitis) hypoleucos
Tadorna tadorna
Gallinago gallinago
Numenius arquata
Anas penelope
Anas querquedula
Plegadis falcinellus
Casmerodus Albus/Ardea alba
Burhinus recurvirostris
Charadrius leschenaultii
Ardea cinerea
Pluvialis squatarola
Vanellus cinereus
Ardeola grayii
Egretta intermedius
Charadrius alexandrinus
Leptoptilos javanicus
Charadrius mongolus
Denrocygna javanica
Phalacrocorax niger
Egretta garzetta
Butorides striata
Charadrius dubius
Limnodromus scolopaceus
Tringa stagnatilis
Nycticorax nycticorax
Tringa guttifer
Tringa nebularia
Anas acuta
Anas clypeata
Pluvia lisfulva
Mycteria leucocephala
Recurvirostra avosetta
Gallinago stenura
Ardea purpurea
Vanellu indicuss
Tadorna ferruginea
Grus antigone
Glareola lactea
Calidris pygmaea
Tringa erythropus
Xenus cinereus
Aythya fuligula
Numenius phaeopus

19Annex III. Most Frequently Traded Fish Species
S.N.
1

Local Name
Nga Hnut

2

Nga Poke Thin

3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

Nga Nyaung
Nga Ponna
Kakadit
Kutbelu
Kutkuyan
Ngathalauk Youkpha
Nga Palway
Prawn
Crab

Trade Name
BombayDuck
Rosy Jew
Fish
Sea Catfish
TapasiSeabass
MulletThreadfin
Toli shadWhiting-

Scientific Name
Harpadon nehereus

Types of fishes traded
Processed – dried fish

Otolites ruber

Iced, Export to China

Arius thalassinus
Polynemus paradisus
Lates calcarifer
Liza parsia
Polynemus indicus
Tenualosa toli
Sillago sp.
-

Processed – dried fish
Fresh, Local consumption
Iced, Export
Fresh, Local consumption
Processed – dried fish
Iced
Fresh, Local consumption
Processed - dried
Live

Source: Livelihoods & Fisheries Management in the Gulf of Mottama, Myanmar (HELVETAS, Network
Group & IUCN with support from SDC: July 2014)20

Activity