Protecting sea turtles on Con Dao Island

Sea turtles (Chelonioidea) are rare and endangered animals which are facing a risk of extinction on a global scale and are being protected by many countries around the world, including Vietnam.
Protecting sea turtles on Con Dao Island ảnh 1Female sea turtle returns to the beach to lay eggs. (Photo: VNA)

Ba Ria-Vung Tau (VNA) – Sea turtles (Chelonioidea) are rare and endangered animals which are facing a risk of extinction on a global scale and are being protected by many countries around the world, including Vietnam.

Vietnam has carried out many programmes and action plans to conserve sea turtles. Con Dao National Park in southern Ba Ria - Vung Tau province is the first place in the country to successfully implement a sea turtle conservation programme.

Vietnam has a long coastline stretching over 3,260 kilometres and thousands of islands, which are home to many species of sea turtles such as green turtle (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea). These species are currently protected at the highest level in accordance with Vietnamese and international laws. Many localities have formed marine protected areas with activities to rescue sea turtles, protect spawning grounds and turtle eggs with Con Dao being a typical example.

Nguyen Khac Pho, Director of the Con Dao National Park Management Board (NPMB), said that since 1994 it has implemented a sea turtle conservation programme that focuses on researching ecological characteristics of the sea turtles, protecting nesting habitats and egg nests and building hatcheries. Specific action programmes include wearing tags, satellite locators, and moving egg nests to a safe place as well as creating a safe hatching station, inspecting and releasing baby turtles to the sea.

The management board has also issued regulations on the conservation of habitats and spawning grounds of sea turtles associated with ecological activities of the Con Dao National Park, aiming at providing better protection for mother turtles, newly hatched turtles and eggs.

According to Pho, the Con Dao National Park is the first place in Vietnam to successfully carry out a sea turtle conservation programme. The number of sea turtles laying eggs in Con Dao accounts for about 90 percent of the number of sea turtles in Vietnam. In 2021, sea turtles were found to nest on Con Dao island from January to November with the peak season lasting from June to October.

About 1,956 egg nests were recorded on 13 beaches in the Con Dao National Park and an estimated 647 mother turtles went to the nesting grounds as of November 20, 2021.

The protection of the sea turtles is an outstanding success of the park, contributing to the conservation of endangered marine species worldwide.

In 2022, the management board will implement a plan to manage and conserve the sea turtles, creating favourable conditions for mother turtles to lay eggs. It will coordinate with Con Dao Resort Ltd. Co. in realising a project on preserving sea turtle spawning grounds at Dat Doc in the 2021-2025 period. The board will also collaborate with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in Vietnam in organising a volunteer programme on sea turtles conservation in 2022.

With the success of sea turtle conservation activities, Con Dao has been recognised as an official member of the Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia (IOSEA), becoming the 11th member of the marine turtle conservation network./.

VNA

See more

Dong Thap receives the first sarus cranes from Thailand for conservation. (Photo: VNA)

Dong Thap receives first sarus cranes from Thailand for conservation

The six cranes, including three males and three females, are around seven months old and were bred in captivity at Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo. They were flown to Vietnam and, following a mandatory quarantine period at the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, and now are eligible for relocation to Tram Chim for conservation and growth.

PM Pham Minh Chinh at the fourth P4G Summit in Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

P4G Summit: PM’s closing speech praises vision for global green transition

The fourth Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit in Hanoi reached five major areas of consensus, including pooling finance for green transition through public-private partnerships and innovative financial policies, advancing research in green technological solutions; transforming agricultural and food systems for sustainability, developing a skilled workforce in sci-tech and innovation; and pursuing an efficient, sustainable, and eco-friendly energy transition.​

At a high-level discussion of the P4G Summit (Photo: VNA)

P4G Summit in Vietnam - A beacon of hope for global climate action: Indian scholar

Vietnam is pioneering a new model of cooperation, one grounded in mutual respect, shared responsibility, and genuine commitment to climate action. In this model, a country’s value lies not in its GDP but in its concrete climate actions and collaborative spirit. Vietnam’s vision of fair and inclusive multilateralism could chart a new path - much-needed, and hopeful - for the global climate order.

Participants at the ministerial-level discussion on breakthrough technology for green transformation and sustainable development in the smart era. (Photo: suckhoedoisong.vn)

P4G ministerial meeting discusses breakthrough technologies for green transition

In Vietnam, a large-scale waste-to-energy facility using Japanese technology has been established in the northern province of Bac Ninh. Additionally, a Johkasou system has been installed in Ha Long Bay, the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh, through Japanese non-refundable aid and support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), contributing to improved water quality, landscape conservation, and tourism development.

A sambars deer is taken to Cuc Phuong National Park. (Photo: VNA broadcasts)

Cuc Phuong National Park receives 18 rare, endangered species from Da Nang

The Cuc Phuong National Park, widely known as the country’s “capital of conservation,” is currently home to thousands of endangered and rare wild animals. Its conservation programmes are recognised at both regional and global levels, including those to protect endangered primates, tortoises and freshwater turtles, and carnivores and pangolins

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi to host major green growth summit this month

Vietnam's hosting the fourth Partnership for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit reflects its push to meet climate commitments, slash emissions, and shift its growth model with global support.

Can Gio Island Mangrove Forest (Photo: VNA)

Effort made to revive, develop Can Gio Island Mangrove Forest

With many unique values, the Can Gio Island mangrove forest became Vietnam's first Biosphere Reserve recognised by UNESCO in 2000. Assessments have revealed a high level of biodiversity, rich in both quantity and species, and home to the largest and most beautiful concentrated mangrove forest in Southeast Asia.