Quang Tri province has been making efforts to protect the environment and biodiversity in Con Co Island Marine Reserve.
This reserve was established in October 2009, located at the southern gateway of the Gulf of Tonkin, covering over 4,530 hectares with three functional zones including strict protection, ecological restoration and service-administration.
The most prominent biodiversity protection in Con Co Island Marine Reserve is the conservation of rare sea turtles. Immediately after its establishment, the Con Co Island Marine Reserve Management Board (Management Board) coordinated with the International Union for Conservation of Nature in Vietnam (IUCN-Vietnam) to implement the Program "Sea Turtle Conservation and Rescue" with the aim of preventing the fishing and trading of sea turtles; and promptly rescuing sea turtles in distress.
Deputy Director of the Con Co Island Marine Reserve Management Board Tran Khuong Canh said that currently, there are 7 species of sea turtles in the world ; of which, in Vietnam's waters, there are 5 species of turtles divided into 2 main families: the green turtle family (green turtles, hawksbill turtles, green sea turtles, loggerheads) and the leatherback turtle family (there is only one species of leatherback turtle).
Of the five rare turtle species (green turtles, hawksbill turtles, green sea turtles, loggerheads and leatherbacks) living in Vietnam's waters, all five are found in Quang Tri waters. From 2024 to June 2025 alone, the Con Co Island Marine Protected Area Management Board coordinated with volunteers, fishermen, local authorities and coastal Border Guard Stations to successfully rescue 14 turtles caught in fishing nets, then released them safely back to the sea.
In September 2024, fisherman Ho Quoc Huy, Gio Linh district, while collecting fish in a trawl net at sea, discovered a hawksbill turtle weighing about 30kg caught in the net.
According to fisherman Ho Quoc Huy, in the past, the management board of Con Co Island Marine Reserve has repeatedly disseminated information about sea turtle protection, along with basic knowledge of sea turtle rescue. Therefore, when discovering sea turtles caught in nets, the fishermen on the boat proactively reported to the local authorities and promptly released the turtles back into the sea.
The management board has also established a team of 26 volunteers to observe, conserve, protect and rescue sea turtles in 12 coastal communes and towns and Con Co island district. These volunteers are trained in-depth knowledge of sea turtles, skills, techniques for conservation, protection and rescue of sea turtles.
Regarding marine conservation, the provincial authorities coordinate with the Con Co Island Marine Reserve Management Board to conduct patrols and controls to prevent violations; at the same time, remind and distribute leaflets to fishermen about regulations on marine activities, prohibited activities and permitted activities in the reserve.
Protecting coral reefs in the Con Co Island Marine Reserve is also always a focus. Deep under the sea of Con Co Island are coral reefs, considered to be among the best in Vietnam, including rare red and black corals, distributed here.
Divers of the Con Co Island Marine Reserve Management Board have conducted periodic dives to monitor coral reefs and the bottom, to monitor unusual reef phenomena such as coral bleaching, large-scale reef breakage, strong disturbance of bottom sediments, and the development of characteristic seaweed and seagrass beds.
Overall results show that there is no coral bleaching in the Con Co Island Marine Reserve in the strictly protected zone and the ecological restoration zone. Some endemic algae species in Con Co Island such as sea grapes and sea moss grow and die periodically normally.
Con Co island district has implemented a project to open a tourist route to Con Co island since 2017. In 2025, Con Co sets a goal of welcoming 11,000-12,000 visitors, with tourism revenue reaching about 15 billion VND.
According to the representative of the leader of Con Co island district, Con Co tourism is based on a diverse, unique, and pristine natural environment, and this is what many tourists really want to experience: swimming, diving to see coral, fishing, etc.
Therefore, the marine environment is always cared for and preserved, such as planting and caring for trees, protecting the environment and preserving the landscape, preventing and handling violations that damage the Con Co Island Marine Reserve./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/phat-trien-du-lich-con-co-dua-tren-nen-tang-bao-ve-moi-truong-da-dang-sinh-hoc-post1042579.vnp
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