The picturesque Con Dao national park in the southern coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has been internationally recognised as Vietnam’s first ever sea Ramsar site, according to the Ramsar Convention.
There are nine criteria for the recognition of wetland as Ramsar sites of the world, but the Convention provisions are open that if any wetland satisfied only one of criteria, it is also recognised as a Ramsar site, the Communist Party of Vietnam online newspaper reported.
As one of 2,203 important Ramsar sites of the world, Con Dao national park is home to 69 species of birds, 28 species of animals, 39 species of reptiles, and 8 species of amphibians.
Surveys conducted by the Nha Trang Institute of Oceanography show Con Dao’s marine ecology boasts 1,321 species of fauna and flora, including 37 species listed in the Red Data Book of Vietnam.
Its marine ecosystem also includes mangroves, coral reefs and seagrass beds. The coral reefs at Con Dao are in their pristine condition in Vietnam, and are distributed in shallow waters around the islands, covering a total area of around 1,000 ha. They support high levels of biodiversity, including over 270 coral species.
The park is also home to approximately 200 ha of seagrass beds, which support a small population of the globally threatened marine mammal including Dugon Dugong, blue whales (Neophonphocaenoides), and Orcaella brevirostric.
It also contains a number of nesting beaches for green turtle Cheloniamydas and Hawksbill turtle Eretmochelysimbricata, two globally threatened marine turtles. More than 250 females visit a total of 14 nesting sites annually, forming over 1,000 nests.
In 1995, Con Dao national park was listed in a Global Representative System of Marine Protected Areas by the World Bank.
So far, Vietnam has six Ramsar sites of the world including Tram Chim (Bird sanctuary) national park in Dong Thap province, Ca Mau cape national park in Ca Mau province, Xuan Thuy natural wetland reserve in Nam Dinh province, Bau Sau in the Cat Tien national park in Dong Nai province, the Ba Be lake in the mountainous province of Bac Kan, and Con Dao national park.
Thanks for this title, the Con Dao national park will raise the position, importance, attention of the international community, and raise awareness as well as the protection mechanism, associated with the promotion of maximum economic efficiency, especially in the tourism sector.
Con Dao national park covers 19,991 hectares is an archipelago of 14 islands located some 80 km off the coast of southern Vietnam. Con Son, the largest of the islands at 5,700 ha, is situated at its centre. Con Son and Hon Cau are the only two islands in the archipelago with year-round freshwater supplies.
The site supports a representative range of coastal and terrestrial ecosystems that are important for the biogeographic region. There are low montane Melaleuca forests inland, while along the coast there are dry forests as well as shallow marine waters, coral reefs, seagrass beds, intertidal flats and mangrove forests. These wetland habitats are particularly intact and support a high biodiversity. Some 355 coral species have been recorded, of which 56 are classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List. Also present are the critically endangered mangrove, Bruguiera hainesii, and the critically endangered Leatherback Turtle Dermochelys coriacea and Hawksbill Turtle Eretmochelys imbricate. The archipelago has been inhabited for 4,000 years.
The French colonial government occupied Con Lon island in the late 19th century, and established a prison from 1936 to 1975 which is now preserved as a national historic site. Traditionally managed capture fishing is allowed, and local people have also adopted other livelihoods including tourism-related ventures.-VNA
There are nine criteria for the recognition of wetland as Ramsar sites of the world, but the Convention provisions are open that if any wetland satisfied only one of criteria, it is also recognised as a Ramsar site, the Communist Party of Vietnam online newspaper reported.
As one of 2,203 important Ramsar sites of the world, Con Dao national park is home to 69 species of birds, 28 species of animals, 39 species of reptiles, and 8 species of amphibians.
Surveys conducted by the Nha Trang Institute of Oceanography show Con Dao’s marine ecology boasts 1,321 species of fauna and flora, including 37 species listed in the Red Data Book of Vietnam.
Its marine ecosystem also includes mangroves, coral reefs and seagrass beds. The coral reefs at Con Dao are in their pristine condition in Vietnam, and are distributed in shallow waters around the islands, covering a total area of around 1,000 ha. They support high levels of biodiversity, including over 270 coral species.
The park is also home to approximately 200 ha of seagrass beds, which support a small population of the globally threatened marine mammal including Dugon Dugong, blue whales (Neophonphocaenoides), and Orcaella brevirostric.
It also contains a number of nesting beaches for green turtle Cheloniamydas and Hawksbill turtle Eretmochelysimbricata, two globally threatened marine turtles. More than 250 females visit a total of 14 nesting sites annually, forming over 1,000 nests.
In 1995, Con Dao national park was listed in a Global Representative System of Marine Protected Areas by the World Bank.
So far, Vietnam has six Ramsar sites of the world including Tram Chim (Bird sanctuary) national park in Dong Thap province, Ca Mau cape national park in Ca Mau province, Xuan Thuy natural wetland reserve in Nam Dinh province, Bau Sau in the Cat Tien national park in Dong Nai province, the Ba Be lake in the mountainous province of Bac Kan, and Con Dao national park.
Thanks for this title, the Con Dao national park will raise the position, importance, attention of the international community, and raise awareness as well as the protection mechanism, associated with the promotion of maximum economic efficiency, especially in the tourism sector.
Con Dao national park covers 19,991 hectares is an archipelago of 14 islands located some 80 km off the coast of southern Vietnam. Con Son, the largest of the islands at 5,700 ha, is situated at its centre. Con Son and Hon Cau are the only two islands in the archipelago with year-round freshwater supplies.
The site supports a representative range of coastal and terrestrial ecosystems that are important for the biogeographic region. There are low montane Melaleuca forests inland, while along the coast there are dry forests as well as shallow marine waters, coral reefs, seagrass beds, intertidal flats and mangrove forests. These wetland habitats are particularly intact and support a high biodiversity. Some 355 coral species have been recorded, of which 56 are classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List. Also present are the critically endangered mangrove, Bruguiera hainesii, and the critically endangered Leatherback Turtle Dermochelys coriacea and Hawksbill Turtle Eretmochelys imbricate. The archipelago has been inhabited for 4,000 years.
The French colonial government occupied Con Lon island in the late 19th century, and established a prison from 1936 to 1975 which is now preserved as a national historic site. Traditionally managed capture fishing is allowed, and local people have also adopted other livelihoods including tourism-related ventures.-VNA
