"Green address" in the middle of the sea

We came to Con Co on a business trip to study and experience. The trip was a big dream in my life. From the assembly point at Cua Tung wharf, looking out to sea, you will see a blue island rising in the distance, that is Con Co. Only 2.5km2 but Con Co is located on the Central coast, close to domestic and foreign shipping routes, so it plays a big role in defense, security protection, national defense of territorial waters and territories. In addition, Con Co is also an important location for developing the marine economy and tourism...

Since the first ship brought young people to the island to work, up to now, Con Co has changed and developed very quickly. Amidst the silence of the waves on all sides, the electric lights make Con Co more sparkling and radiant. Printed on the sky is the Con Co Telecommunication Station with a microwave transmission tower. The smooth cement roads run crisscrossing under the shade of cool green trees, embracing the school, the headquarters of the civil and political agencies; the island district radio and television system, the Youth Cultural House... In the morning, mixed in the murmur of the waves, the voices of teachers and students of Hoa Phong Ba Kindergarten - Primary School teach each other to sing, dance, and read.

Following the tour guide and the hospitable people, we began our journey to explore Con Co. The road leading to the forest is quite flat, with forest protection signs everywhere on both sides of the road. The forest here covers over 70% of the island's area, so you can see green everywhere you look. The primeval forests with many perennial trees and many rare species are being strictly protected by the army and people on the island. The green here is not only in the natural forests but also multiplied in military units, agencies, and residential areas. These are the square-shaped banyan tree, the wind-blown maple, coconut, banana, papaya, squash, pumpkin, gourd, green vegetables... grown by the hands of soldiers and people on the island. It is the green color that harmonizes with nature and people, making Con Co both wild and vibrant, feeling extremely warm even in a remote island.

Along with the lush green forest, the marine biodiversity here is quite high and the level of conservation is still quite good. The intertidal ecosystems here are estimated to have 307 species: 160 phytoplankton, 40 seaweed, 54 zooplankton, 53 benthic animals. The subtidal ecosystems have a total of 1,068 species, including: 219 phytoplankton, 71 seaweed, 134 zooplankton, 173 benthic animals, 150 hard corals, 31 soft corals, 200 marine fish; 90 coral fish species.

The sea area around the island is a favorable fishing ground, about 9,000 km2 wide with many seafood species of high economic value. There are more than 1,000 species of marine life living in 4-5 marine ecosystems along the island, including many rare species such as sea turtles, sea urchins, lobsters, pearl oysters, stone crabs, etc. Of the 267 species of marine fish, there are 49 species of high economic value. The reserves of large-sized benthic animals along the island include mussels, snails, shrimp, crabs, sea cucumbers, etc., about 2,670 tons. The output of squid exploitation reaches 356.8 tons/year and lobster reaches 4.8 tons/year.

In April 2017, the People's Committee of Quang Tri province approved and recognized the tourist route to Con Co Island. After 6 years of official opening, Con Co Island has made progress in attracting tourists.

During the peak summer tourist season, Con Co welcomes a large number of tourists to visit and relax; especially on weekends, tourist attractions and homestays are always full. According to statistics, in 2022, Con Co Island welcomed more than 8,000 visitors. Total revenue from tourism activities on the island district is estimated at nearly 10 billion VND. Currently, on the island district, there are 4 motels with a total of 48 rooms and 5 homestay services of households, in addition, there are 2 boats serving the Cua Viet - Con Co tourist route. There are 5 households running food and entertainment services, ensuring service for 500 guests at the same time with typical island dishes such as oysters, snails, seaweed, squid, fish of all kinds... Types of tourism support services such as renting boats to go around the island for fishing, diving to see coral, renting hammocks, tents, sports services on the island... are also deployed. Periodically, especially during peak season, the People's Committee of Con Co island district has directed the district's functional departments and branches to strengthen inspections of tourism service businesses, one of the contents is to inspect environmental protection work, because the goal of tourism is to develop the economy - society without affecting the environment, tourism must be truly green to keep the island green.

The rhythm of life here takes place as if arranged according to a timetable. In the distance, large ships set sail; at dawn, fishing boats return bustlingly, stirring up the morning market; after the morning market, the space is returned to its quietness. Talking with a local man who has just finished his voyage, he warmly shared stories of going out to sea, protecting the forest and planting green patches to make the island greener day by day. There are still hardships and drifting, but he believes that with the attention of the Party, the State in general and Quang Tri in particular, Con Co will develop more and more, greener.

The lives of the people here mainly depend on the nearshore and offshore fishing profession. For them, each trip out to sea often brings with it many hopes of bringing back many blessings from the sea. And each return trip is always the expectation of relatives. Therefore, the port is not only a place to dock, but also a place to wait for relatives to return from the vast ocean waves. A small or large catch of fish is normal for them in their hard life. The small fish and shrimp that they save every month and year have brought the residents of this island district a more stable life, even getting rich from the sea. But not only a daily livelihood, the seafaring profession is also a strong sentiment of the people of Con Co island district associated with the sea. Especially when the East Sea is always in the "sight" of foreign powers, the fishermen of Con Co island district's going out to sea to cling to the sea further affirms Vietnam's sovereignty over the sea and islands.

In the near future, the People's Committee of Quang Tri province will implement a plan to establish a special-use forest to protect the landscape of Con Co island, both to serve the goal of protecting the forest-sea ecosystem and to serve the interests of the local community through the rational exploitation of natural products from the forest and ecotourism services, while meeting strict requirements on national defense and security. And so, in my imagination, Con Co is not only a red address of the revolution but also a "green address" in terms of ecology and a place worth living and visiting.

The trip left me with many memorable moments. Before the sacred sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland, before the blood sacrifice of the previous generations to protect the island, before the determined efforts to protect sovereignty and build a sustainable island development of the army and people of Con Co, I realized that I myself and my contributions are extremely small. With all the love for the country and homeland, I hope everyone will visit Con Co once, to have the opportunity to feel the love for Vietnam's sea and islands, to appreciate the green colors, the green of the sky, the green of the forest, the green of the water and the eternal green of the will and determination to protect the sacred sovereignty of the sea and islands of the army and people of Con Co.

Le Thi Thu Thanh

Address: Team 2, Bich Khe, Trieu Long, Trieu Phong, Quang Tri

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