The Con Dao National Park in southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province is thefirst place in Vietnam to successfully implement a sea turtleconservation and rescue programme through numerous efforts taken since1987, greatly contributing to the action strategies on biodiversity ofthe country and the region.
Before 1987, marine turtles such asgreen turtle (Chelonya mydas) and hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelysimbricate) were freely hunted in the island for fine art products andfood.
But after the visits by Prof. Vo Quy from the HanoiGeneral University and Elizabeth Kemf, Secretary of GreenpeaceInternational, in the middle of that year, local authorities paid moreattention to protecting them as recommended by the scientists.
TheCon Dao district People’s Committee issued a ban on the transport ofsea turtles and their products out of the island and a decree onprotection of fishing grounds, natural resources and the marineenvironment in Con Dao. These are important legal foundations for themanagement and conservation of marine turtles in the islands.
Themanagement board of the Con Dao Forbidden Forest (now ConDao National Park ) set up ranger stations in small islands whereturtles usually gave birth such as Hon Bay Canh, Hon Cau, Hon Tre Lon,Hon Tai and Bai Duong as part of its efforts in preventing theillegal exploitation of sea turtles.
Thanks to the support ofthe Worldwide Fund for Nature (WFF), the turtle conservation at the parkhas been implemented in a more scientific and methodical way, with anumber of studies on female turtles’ nesting periods and migratingsites, impacts of nest temperatures on the gender of offsprings and theDNA structure of the local marine turtles.
The Con DaoNational Park boasts 14 beaches where turtles make its nests, coveringa total area of over 20,000sq.m. From May to October every year, over400 female turtles lay eggs on the beaches. More than 120,000 babyturtles are released into the sea annually.
The park was twicerecognised by the Vietnam Record Book Centre (Vietking) as the placebreeding and freeing the largest number of marine turtles.-VNA
Before 1987, marine turtles such asgreen turtle (Chelonya mydas) and hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelysimbricate) were freely hunted in the island for fine art products andfood.
But after the visits by Prof. Vo Quy from the HanoiGeneral University and Elizabeth Kemf, Secretary of GreenpeaceInternational, in the middle of that year, local authorities paid moreattention to protecting them as recommended by the scientists.
TheCon Dao district People’s Committee issued a ban on the transport ofsea turtles and their products out of the island and a decree onprotection of fishing grounds, natural resources and the marineenvironment in Con Dao. These are important legal foundations for themanagement and conservation of marine turtles in the islands.
Themanagement board of the Con Dao Forbidden Forest (now ConDao National Park ) set up ranger stations in small islands whereturtles usually gave birth such as Hon Bay Canh, Hon Cau, Hon Tre Lon,Hon Tai and Bai Duong as part of its efforts in preventing theillegal exploitation of sea turtles.
Thanks to the support ofthe Worldwide Fund for Nature (WFF), the turtle conservation at the parkhas been implemented in a more scientific and methodical way, with anumber of studies on female turtles’ nesting periods and migratingsites, impacts of nest temperatures on the gender of offsprings and theDNA structure of the local marine turtles.
The Con DaoNational Park boasts 14 beaches where turtles make its nests, coveringa total area of over 20,000sq.m. From May to October every year, over400 female turtles lay eggs on the beaches. More than 120,000 babyturtles are released into the sea annually.
The park was twicerecognised by the Vietnam Record Book Centre (Vietking) as the placebreeding and freeing the largest number of marine turtles.-VNA
