Spreading the spirit of responsibility to protect the world natural heritage of Cat Ba Island

Cat Ba National Park rangers and local people re-released a python - an endangered and rare species in group IIB according to the law (Photo provided by the base)

People together protect nature

With a rich forest-marine ecosystem, Cat Ba National Park is the 'green lung' of Hai Phong and the Northeast region. The preservation of nature here is not only thanks to the rangers but also the cooperation of the local community. Small but meaningful actions of the people are contributing to preserving the lives of rare animals, spreading the spirit of responsibility to protect the world's natural heritage.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien, 70 years old in Hai Son village (Cat Hai special zone) discovered a python weighing nearly 9 kg stuck in a livestock cage net. Instead of finding a way to handle it herself, Ms. Hien quickly reported it to the Cat Ba National Park rangers. Upon receiving the news, the National Park Forestry Department promptly arrived, rescued the rare individual, cared for it and released it back into the special-use forest. Ms. Hien's actions not only saved the life of a python - an endangered, rare species in group IIB according to the law, but also spread the spirit of protecting the forest and preserving life as the responsibility of every local resident.

According to the Cat Ba National Park Forest Protection Department, since the beginning of 2024, the unit has coordinated the release of 21 wild animals into the wild. This result has always been due to the cooperation and timely information from local people. Mr. Vu Hong Vi, Deputy Head of the Cat Ba National Park Forest Protection Department, said: "While the ranger force is thin and the forest and sea areas are too large, the people are the important "eyes and ears", helping us promptly detect and handle situations. With the support of the people, conservation work will be sustainable."

The people's proactive participation in nature protection is the result of a long period of time when Cat Ba National Park has promoted propaganda activities in many direct and mobile forms. Accordingly, the forest rangers coordinated to organize communication in each village using loudspeakers, banners, and mobile vehicles. The propaganda content reminded people not to hunt migratory birds, not to trade or consume wild animals; at the same time, introduced legal regulations and sanctions for violations. From there, people clearly understood the legal regulations, raised their awareness and responsibility to join hands in conserving rare animals in Cat Ba National Park. "Listening to the propaganda, people understood more clearly that hunting migratory birds not only violates the law, but also disrupts the ecological balance and affects the reputation of the locality. I think this work is practical and needs to be maintained for a long time," said Mr. Nguyen Van Lam, a resident of Lien Minh village.

In addition to propaganda activities, Cat Ba National Park regularly coordinates with schools at all levels to organize for students to participate, witness the release of animals into the forest, experience trekking in the primeval forest, learn about Cat Ba langurs... Thanks to that, love of nature and awareness of biodiversity protection are planted in the young generation.

Preserving nature's "treasures"

Cat Ba National Park currently has more than 4,000 species of flora and fauna, of which 154 are rare and endemic species protected by law and internationally. This is the only place in the world where the Cat Ba langur, one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world, still exists. In addition, there are hundreds of species of fish, corals, and sea turtles in the unique marine ecosystem - mangrove forests - limestone mountains.

The success in conserving the Cat Ba langur, increasing the number of individuals from a few dozen to nearly 100, is a vivid proof of the persistent efforts of the authorities and the community. This is a way to preserve the national brand and reputation, especially when the Cat Ba archipelago is recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage.

However, there are still many challenges such as the decline of some coral reef and mangrove ecosystems; illegal hunting still occurs; pressure from tourism development and climate change also affects the living environment. “There are still many difficulties, but we believe that with the support of the community, conservation work will become more and more effective, so that Cat Ba will always be green and an attractive destination for Vietnam and the world,” Mr. Vu Hong Vi emphasized.

The people are not only beneficiaries, but also “co-authors” in the conservation work. And from these silent contributions, Cat Ba is not only the “green pearl” of Hai Phong , but also a symbol of the consensus of all people for nature for the present and future generations.

HUY TUAN

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/lan-toa-tinh-than-trach-nhiem-bao-ve-di-san-thien-nhien-the-gioi-dao-cat-ba-521373.html