About Xuan Thuy mangrove forest

Xuan Thuy wetland is known as the international

Xuan Thuy wetland is known as the international "bird station".

From early morning, Mr. Pham Vu Anh (Deputy Director of Xuan Thuy National Park) was waiting for us at the ferry dock. The canoe of Xuan Thuy National Park slowly made its way through the bushes along the bank to leave the dock, going up the river mouth.

Along the river, forests of mangroves, trang trees, and banyan trees with the banyan flowers are in full bloom, bright purple and pink. Under the dense canopy of trees are countless beehives brought in by local beekeepers and those from neighboring provinces to collect honey.

The canoe weaved through the mangrove forests and straight to the Ba Lat estuary, where the tidal currents were extremely complex and the waves were big, only experienced drivers dared to pass.

Mr. Pham Vu Anh pointed to the land on the other side of the bank, saying that is Con Vanh in Hung Yen province (formerly Tien Hai district, Thai Binh province), on this side is Con Lu in Ninh Binh province (formerly Giao Thuy district, Nam Dinh province), Ba Lat estuary is the last section on the journey of the Red River into the sea.

In ancient times, Ba Lat was an important waterway gateway to Thang Long citadel ( Hanoi ); today, this river mouth is the natural boundary between the two lands of Ninh Binh and Hung Yen.

Mr. Ngo Duc Dang (Giao Minh commune, Ninh Binh province), who has 30 years of extensive farming of shrimp, crab, and fish in this mangrove area, said that every summer, the whole mangrove area is bustling with people catching clams, mussels, and fingernails; traders flock to buy; hundreds of beehives are brought in to collect nectar; and the mangrove owners also start the season of releasing seeds for the next month.

His family invested in building a large sluice gate to get water and natural food from the river mouth and sea into the lagoon, so the shrimp, crabs, and fish in his family's 6-hectare extensive lagoon have sweeter, more naturally fragrant meat than those raised entirely on industrial food.

There were times when, in order to get a good source of water with lots of nutritious plankton, he had to wait for a whole month before daring to open the sluice gate to let water flow into the lagoon. At those times, just a little carelessness, letting in bad water, water that was not salty enough, water contaminated with pesticides from the fields could kill the entire lagoon, and the money and effort of the whole crop would be gone.

Extensive shrimp, crab and fish farming models in the Xuan Thuy mangrove area have been a source of livelihood for local people for many years, saving costs, providing high quality seafood, and causing little impact or harm to nature.

On average, each household raising ponds here earns from several hundred million to one billion VND per year. There are dozens of seafood purchasing warehouses in the area. Just counting the wholesale warehouse of Mr. Pham Van Hiet in Giao Hoa commune, every day he buys more than 500 kg of oysters, mussels, and clams, then sorts and packages them to deliver to restaurants.

The demand for imported seafood in this area is very high. During the clam season, people only need a few hours to catch about a few kilos to sell to traders for 110,000 to 120,000 VND/kg, with an average income of 200,000 to 500,000 VND/day, sometimes even a million VND.
(Mr. Pham Van Hiet, Giao Hoa commune, Ninh Binh province)

Mr. Hiet said that the demand for imported seafood in this area is very high. During the clam season, people only need a few hours to catch about a few kilos to sell to traders for 110,000 to 120,000 VND/kg, with an average income of 200,000 to 500,000 VND/day, sometimes even a million VND.

People in Giao Minh, Giao Hoa, and Giao Phuc communes have many types of wetlands such as tidal flats with mangrove forests, tidal flats without mangrove forests, shrimp ponds, sandbanks, sandbars, tributaries, and tidal creeks.

Each type of ecosystem has its own characteristics in terms of living environment and habitat, leading to characteristics of biological communities.

Director of Xuan Thuy National Park Doan Cao Cuong shared that with its diverse ecosystem, Xuan Thuy National Park has recorded many plant communities and 386 species of large benthic invertebrates. These are tropical species widely distributed in the western Pacific coast. In particular, Xuan Thuy National Park is considered an "international bird station" for migratory waterfowl, including many rare species such as Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Black-tailed Straight-billed Sandpiper, Spoon-billed Stork, Black-headed Duck...

With a diverse ecosystem, Xuan Thuy National Park has recorded many plant communities and 386 species of large benthic invertebrates. These are tropical species widely distributed in the western Pacific coast. In particular, Xuan Thuy National Park is considered an "international bird station" for migratory waterfowl, including many rare species such as Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Black-tailed Straight-billed Sandpiper, Spoon-billed Stork, Black-headed Duck...
(Director of Xuan Thuy National Park Doan Cao Cuong)

Mr. Doan Cao Cuong said that the field survey recorded 222 bird species, of which 166 are migratory. In winter, migratory birds from the north come to avoid the cold to winter, in summer and autumn, migratory birds from the south such as the Giang sen and pelicans from the southern provinces and Cambodia choose this place as a place to avoid the heat in their annual migration cycle.

Notably, in March 2023, a group of conservation experts discovered a fishing cat in this area. This species is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) according to the Vietnam Red Book in 2007.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuoi, Party cell of hamlet 3, Giao Minh commune, said that every month the Party cell holds meetings to evaluate the activities of local industries; organizes conferences to propagate mangrove forest conservation and sustainable livelihood development, thanks to which people's awareness of environmental protection, wildlife protection, and natural forest protection is very high.

Coming to Xuan Thuy National Park, a mangrove area with hundreds of years of history, formed from the fertile alluvium of the Red River, visitors can witness the changes in the lives of coastal fishermen, a place that was once one of the first 10 localities to meet advanced new rural standards but still preserves the wild beauty of the mangrove forest.

That effort deserves to be rewarded with the title "ASEAN Heritage Garden" for which the Garden is in the process of being recognized soon.

LOYALTY

Source: https://nhandan.vn/ve-rung-ngap-man-xuan-thuy-post907812.html