Fishermen and marine workers equipped with sea turtle rescue skills

Sea turtles are rescued at the Núi Chúa National Park in Vĩnh Hải Commune, Ninh Hải District, Ninh Thuận southern province. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Thành

NINH THUẬN — A programme to train fishermen and others on rescuing sea turtles and marine mammals was held on Wednesday at the Núi Chúa National Park in the southern province of Ninh Thuận.

Organised by the Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature in Việt Nam (IUCN Việt Nam) and the Humane Society International (HSI), the programme attracted the participation of marine conservation managers from a number of provinces and cities, fisheries experts and 30 fishermen.

Lê Trần Nguyên Hùng, Deputy Director of the Department of Fisheries Surveillance, said that the programme aimed to equip officers working in marine conservation and fisheries management with essential skills in rescuing sea turtles and marine mammals.

After the course, the trainees not only learned rescue skills but also how to become ambassadors for protecting the marine environment, helping spread messages on conservation to the community.

Those who attended the training programme were taught specialised rescue skills, including how to handle emergency situations, care for injured animals and help them return to the wild.

In addition, the training course also introduced ways to collect information on unintentional exploitation of sea turtles and marine mammals, which is crucial to better understanding what conservation and management measures are required.

Bùi Thị Thu Hiền, manager of the Marine and Coastal Programme under IUCN Việt Nam, said that Núi Chúa National Park is a place where great numbers of sea turtles come to nest. The park is ranked second for turtle nesting grounds, after Côn Đảo National Park in Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu Province.

The park’s management board has actively worked in sea turtle conservation, especially through an annual volunteer programme.

These programmes are considered good opportunities to convey a nationwide message on sea turtle conservation.

According to the Department of Fisheries Surveillance, sea turtles and marine mammals are indispensable to the marine ecosystem.

In Việt Nam's waters, five species of sea turtles and about 30 species of marine mammals have been recorded living along coastal areas and offshore islands.

All sea turtle and marine mammal species are listed in the Việt Nam Red Book and the IUCN Red List.

Sea turtles belong to group one on the list of endangered, precious and rare species prioritised for protection, issued in the Government’s Decree 64/2019/NĐ-CP. Marine mammals belong to group one on the list of endangered, precious and rare aquatic species issued in the Government’s Decree 37/2024/NĐ-CP. — VNS