Con Dao National Park, located in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, has proposed to undertake research on the conservation of marine turtles in Southeast Asia, highlighting the need for a in-depth research as well as methodical training support for teams working on sea turtle conservation.
Foreign delegates at the 2nd Regional Conference on the Ocean Decade and the 11th International Conference on Marine Sciences. Photo: CTV/CVN
Furthermore, he insisted on the importance of strengthening ties and sharing experiences in the region.
This information was shared by the director of Con Dao National Park, Nguyen Khac Pho, during the 2nd regional conference on the decade for the ocean and the 11th international conference on marine sciences, which was held from April 22 to 25 in Bangkok (Thailand) under the auspices of UNESCO.
According to Nguyen Khac Pho, Con Dao National Park has started implementing marine turtle conservation activities in Vietnam since 1987. These activities include the management of 18 nesting areas for green turtles (Chelonia mydas), preservation of coral reefs and seagrass beds, prevention of intrusions and harassment of mother turtles, as well as the movement of turtle eggs to incubation lakes. From 1993 to 2022, the park recorded the nesting of 12,654 mother turtles, with a total of 36,939 turtle nests. More than 3,211,500 eggs have been transferred to the incubation lake, and the successful hatching rate of eggs has exceeded 80%, with more than 2,419,290 baby turtles released into the sea by 2022. Currently, Con Dao National Park has become the largest marine turtle breeding site in the country, welcoming around 700 turtles per year.
Help from mother turtles in Con Dao National Park. Photo: CTV/CVN
Nguyen Khac Pho also mentioned that during the implementation of conservation activities, migrating turtles from Con Dao were observed traveling to other sites, such as Phu Quy Island and Truong Sa (Vietnam) as well as some coastal areas in Southeast Asia, such as Sihanoukville (Cambodia), the eastern coast of Pahang State (Malaysia) and the Natuna Sea (Indonesia). In 2018, the Bay Canh station of Con Dao National Park discovered a nesting mother turtle with a tag from Indonesia.
Release baby sea turtles into the ocean at Con Dao National Park. Photo: CTV/CVN
The 2nd regional conference on the decade for the ocean and the 11th international conference on marine sciences brought together nearly 1,500 delegates from 124 countries and territories. This is an excellent opportunity to raise issues aimed at promoting cooperation and undertaking specific actions to address the challenges of sustainable development of the marine environment in the region.
Author: Vo Thi Van
