Vietnam joins global efforts to protect sea turtles

ABO/NDO – The Vietnamese Government has engaged in various international commitments to enhance management and preserve vulnerable and endangered marine turtles, said Director General of the Directorate of Fisheries Tran Dinh Luan on October 21.

Illustrative image.

He made the statement at the 8th Meeting of Signatories to The Indian Ocean - Southeast Asia (IOSEA) Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), saying Vietnam has engaged in the IOSEA Marine Turtle MoU in 2001, the MoU on ASEAN Sea Turtle Conservation and Protection in 2012, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora in 1994.

Sea turtles have roamed the oceans for millions of years. Scientists recognise seven living species of sea turtles, namely green turtle (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), kem’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), flatback (Natator depressa), and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea). They are now on the verge of extinction.

There are five marine turtle species in Vietnam: green sea turtle, hawksbill, olive ridley, loggerhead and leatherback. These species have been put in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, and the Vietnam Red Data Book.

At the event, Vietnam recommended Con Dao National Park as a member of the IOSEA Marine Turtle Site Network. This is a vivid illustration for the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to preserving the rare animal, and preventing poaching towards sustainable and responsible seafood exploitation.

At the five-day meeting held in Da Nang city, experts from 33 member states of the IOSEA Marine Turtle MoU, and representatives from 50 domestic and foreign non-governmental organisations are discussing challenges and future trends in sea turtle preservation work, guiding signatories and competent parties to carry out management and preservation plan during 2020-2024, and focusing on plastic waste, climate change and sea turtle varieties.

(Source: NDO)