The environment is improving

According to Mr. Dam Hai Van - Deputy Head of Nha Trang Bay Management Board, during their life cycle, sea turtles go through many different habitats, starting from coastal sandbanks, growing up in coral reefs and seagrass areas along the coast, then drifting along ocean currents. During the breeding season, they return to coral reefs and seagrass areas to mate and return to the exact place where they were born to nest and lay eggs. A sea turtle takes 30 - 50 years to reach adulthood, but for every 1,000 juveniles, only one survives to adulthood. The migration process lasts for months because sea turtles migrate and forage during the day, and at night they go to coral reefs and rocky reefs to rest. The probability of sea turtles appearing in the sea is often very rare, requiring clean water quality and food sources. The appearance of sea turtles in the Hon Mun sea area on October 4 shows that the marine ecological environment of Nha Trang Bay is improving and sea turtles are showing signs of returning to their birthplace to lay eggs.

Sea turtles appeared in Hon Mun waters on October 4.

According to the report of Nha Trang City People's Committee, Nha Trang Bay has very diverse ecosystems, creating a stable living, breeding and development environment for some species of sea turtles. Therefore, decades ago, sea turtles often came to lay eggs on coastal beaches and islands such as Hon Tre, Hon Mun..., especially in Dam Tre area (Vinh Nguyen ward), where every year from April to September sea turtles returned to lay eggs. However, the number of mature sea turtles capable of breeding has decreased significantly due to human hunting; the leveling of coastal works and islands to build tourist areas causes water, air and noise pollution, narrowing natural breeding grounds... making sea turtles less likely to return to breed.

Currently, in Nha Trang Bay, there is only one natural turtle breeding ground in the Bai Bang area of ​​Hon Tre island. In 2009, at Dam Tre, a mother turtle was discovered coming ashore to lay 3 clutches of eggs. The clutches were protected by the authorities until the baby turtles returned to the sea. In August 2015, through a biodiversity survey in Nha Trang Bay, the authorities discovered an adult sea turtle at Hon Tre; in June 2016, a clutch of eggs was discovered at Dam Tre beach; most of the people surveyed saw sea turtles appearing in the Nha Trang Bay Marine Protected Area. This is a positive sign, showing that it is extremely necessary to demarcate and protect the turtle nesting grounds.

Building a sea turtle conservation plan

The Nha Trang Bay Restoration Master Plan to 2030 issued by the Provincial People's Committee in November 2022 has the task of "Supporting the restoration and conservation of sea turtles in the Nha Trang Bay Marine Protected Area and neighboring waters". Up to now, the Nha Trang Bay Management Board (the unit in charge of implementing the task) has proposed to include the Dam Tre - Hon Tre area in the adjustment plan of the General Planning of Nha Trang City, as a basis for establishing a turtle nesting site in the Nha Trang Bay Marine Protected Area. The Bay Management Board has coordinated with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to implement a program to monitor plastic waste on beaches and at the seabed, and conserve sea turtles based on the community in 2023 in Nha Trang. In 2023, the unit and IUCN experts conducted a survey of the Bai Bang Lon - Dam Tre turtle nesting site; propaganda on environmental protection, sea turtle conservation and field survey combined with cleaning Bai Bang Lon - Dam Tre with the participation of Bai Bang management enterprise and Khanh Hoa University Youth Union; coordinate with tourism service enterprises on the bay to organize propaganda on sea turtle conservation and plastic waste reduction; develop documents on sea turtle conservation and plastic waste reduction to provide to primary and secondary schools to serve extracurricular teaching for students in the city. Currently, the Bay Management Board continues to coordinate with IUCN to develop a plan to conserve sea turtles on the bay, protect Bai Bang Lon turtle nesting ground, where turtles used to lay eggs.

An area of ​​Nha Trang Bay.

According to Mr. Dam Hai Van, to ensure the protection of marine species in general and sea turtle conservation in particular, the Bay Management Board recommends that competent authorities review and complete legal documents on biodiversity conservation to create a legal basis for the conservation of turtle species on the list of endangered, precious and rare species prioritized for protection; strengthen investigation, assessment and research activities on endangered turtle species. At the same time, build models, establish and effectively manage protected areas; support rescue work; breed and conserve endangered turtle species; Establish a network and build a mechanism for exchanging information on turtle conservation... If we effectively manage and conserve sea turtles in Nha Trang Bay, creating an environment and habitat for sea turtles to come to the sandy beaches at Bai Bang Lon - Dam Tre to breed as before, it will enrich biodiversity and create high-value tourism products in Nha Trang Bay.

THÁI THỊNH