Con Dao National Park on the Con Dao archipelago off the coast of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province has been officially recognised as a member of the Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia (IOSEA), becoming the 11th member of the marine turtles conservation network.

Presenting the IOSEA certificate at Con Dao National Park on November 13.

A ceremony presenting a certificate of recognition from the IOSEA was held at Con Dao National Park on November 13.

Addressing the event, Tran Dinh Luan, head of the Directorate for Fisheries of Vietnam, noted that the recognition confirms the country’s goodwill towards conserving marine turtle species.

Nguyen Khac Pho, director of Con Dao National Park, said conservation efforts require the participation of both scientists and businesses in order to develop ecological tourism in a sustainable manner. He went on to say many firms have joined conservation in the park to protect the marine turtle species in an effective manner.

The Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia (IOSEA) recently hosted its 8th meeting in Da Nang city, during which the Vietnamese delegation made a proposal for Con Dao National Park to become a member of the IOSEA turtle conservation network.

The honour recognizes Vietnam’s great efforts to promote biodiversity conservation, sea turtle conservation in particular, while confirming the government’s strong commitment to protect rare species in both a sustainable and responsible manner.

Situated off the south-east coast, the waters of the islands are considered ideal feeding habitats for Green Turtles, Chelonia mydas, and Hawksbill Turtles, Eretmochelys imbricata, both of which feature on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).