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Multiform ecosystem: Bai Tu Long is home to many species of plants and animals listed in Viet Nam’s Red Book. — VNS File Photo

Bai Tu Long National Park education centre opens

QUANG NINH — It was not just the young who appeared fascinated by the new environmental education centre in Bai Tu Long National Park, north of Ha Long Bay.

Older residents of Minh Chau Commune, Van Don Island closely inspected the exhibits on the plant and animal life that live in the park’s 15,700ha of sea, tidal and island land at the centre’s opening day on March 5.

"I want to learn more about the local environment but there are not many trees left," said Kieu Van Vien, from nearby Na San Village.

"The local rangers patrol the forest very strictly to protect what we have left. But I hope the centre will teach everyone about protecting the environment."

Unlike Ha Long Bay, few tourists make it to Bai Tu Long Bay. However, logging, poaching, over-fishing and the pollution from the province’s large coal mining industry are placing substantial pressure on the environment.

Poverty in the communes that surround the park mean it is frequently entered illegally as people search for food or to steal logs or hunt valuable animals to make ends meet.

Park director Nguyen Duc Tuy said an education environment centre in the national park was necessary for local community as well as tourists.

"It is significant component of our awareness strategy that will facilitate the area’s understanding of park issues."

Bai Tu Long National Park, in the northern province of Quang Ninh, was set up by the Government in 2001. The park covers the islands of Ba Mun, Tra Ngo Lon, Tra Ngo Nho, Sau Dong, the Sau Nam islands and another 20 smaller karst islands.

The park has 494 different plant species, 37 animals, 96 bird species, 15 amphibian species, 22 species of reptiles and 391 marine animals, according to a biodiversity study by British NGO Frontier Viet Nam.

One of the most endangered animals in the park is the dugong, also known as a sea cow. Listed in Viet Nam’s Red Book, the dugong is a large whale-like sea mammal that is in fact, more closely related to the elephant than the whale. Minh Chau fishermen found a 500kg dugong in park waters last December.

Safeguarding the park’s ecosystem is difficult because the area’s main communes of Minh Chau, Quan Lan, Ban Sen, Van Yen and Ha Long are far apart, spread across several islands, chief park ranger Pham Van Sy said.

Frontier Viet Nam has two projects in the park, focusing on evaluating biodiversity, improving the community’s environmental awareness and training forest rangers in research methods and collecting statistics on the local flora and fauna.

"I hope the centre will play an important role in addressing these issues and raising awareness not only the local community but among visitors," said Leo Bottrill, chief of representative Frontier-Vietnam. — VNS