Nha Trang Bay Management Board has just proposed Nha Trang City People's Committee would zone egg-laying sites for sea turtles at Big Bai Bang - Dam Tre (Nha Trang Bay) in order to conserve the endangered marine species...
Nha Trang Bay Management Board has just proposed Nha Trang City People's Committee would zone egg-laying sites for sea turtles at Big Bai Bang - Dam Tre (Nha Trang Bay) in order to conserve the endangered marine species and restore its habitat.
Return of sea turtles
249.65 km2, consists of numerous islands and islets with eco-systems such as mangroves, coral reefs, sea grass beds, estuaries, marine eco-system and coastal sand dunes to create the sustainable living and reproduction habitat for some marine turtles. Therefore, since years ago, turtles have laid eggs on the beach and islands, namely Tre and Mun Islands, particularly Dam Tre where turtles often lay eggs from April and September. However, the number of mature turtles has declined sharply due to hunting for meat, shells, skin as well as eggs, according to Nha Trang Bay Management Board, Nha Trang Bay.
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According to Huynh Binh Thai, Head of Nha Trang Bay Management Board, in recent years, turtles have returned to sand dunes at Big Bang site. Therefore, Nha Trang Bay Management Board has proposed Nha Trang City People’s Committee would zone sea turtle protection and sea grass beds eco-system site at Big Bai Bang, make a project to restore marine turtles on Nha Trang Bay with the participation of domestic and foreign organizations, businesses; relevant individuals and communities; propagandize and educate biodiversity protection and conservation of endangered species, including sea turtles; strengthen law enforcement in biodiversity protection and endangered species conservation.
Turtle habitat restoration
Associate Professor, PhD. Nguyen Chu Hoi, Vice-Chairman of Vietnam Fisheries Association, member of the Steering Board of the Global Ocean Forum (GOF), all species of sea turtles are listed as endangered or "critically endangered, included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Therefore, the sea turtle protection zoning means a lot to the restoration of sea turtle habitat, contributing to preserving endangered marine species.
Sea turtles migrate to reach their spawning beaches. They might have lived in other countries for several years before reaching Vietnam sea waters. Therefore, the protection of sea turtle must be based on the principles: creating and preserving basic ecological conditions, suitable for turtles to nest and lay eggs. A sea turtle can lay hundreds of eggs. Good protection may help restore their spawning sites which will become a tourist destination, bringing economic value to the marine reserve. Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee is developing a master plan to restore Nha Trang Bay to 2030 with activities to protect sea turtles scheduled to be conducted from 2022 to 2026 with the cooperation and technical assistance of IUCN.
T.Thinh
Translated by N.T
