Vietnam: Phu Quoc Island hosts festival to raise awareness on dugong conservation

Thanh Nien News 27 Dec 15;

Hundreds of local students and tourists have participated in the 2015 Dugong Festival on Phu Quoc Island on Sunday in an event held by Wildlife At Risk to raise awareness of protecting the marine creature.

The festival started with a parade from Ham Ninh Commune to Ham Ninh Harbor - a famous tourist spot on Phu Quoc Island and finished back at the Ham Ninh Commune.

About 200 local students who are members of six WAR’s Marine Conservation Clubs throughout Phu Quoc Island took part in a serial of contests and other activities at Duong Beach.

Students and tourists also got involved in a dugong (Dugong dugon) sand sculpture contest, a photo contest with photos featuring the beauty and threats to the island, and marine knowledge contest.

“The Dugong Festival 2015 with many exciting and creative activities became an unforgettable memory for each participant, which encourages them to take part in protecting dugong and Phu Quoc,” said Do Thi Thanh Huyen – WAR’s wildlife education manager.

“We expect that each people take at least one practical action to protect Phu Quoc marine resources and Vietnam’s marine resources in general so that our future generations could still benefit from the bountiful sea”.

The festival is part of a project entitled “Conservation of Dugong and Biodiversity of Phu Quoc and Tho Chu island”, being implemented since 2013 by WAR and Phu Quoc Marine Protection Area.


Phu Quoc hosts Dugong Festival
Vietnam News Service 29 Dec 15;

Nearly 700 tourists, local leaders and residents on Phu Quoc Island in the southern province of Kien Giang participated in the Dugong Festival 2015 to raise awareness about the protection of Dugong and endangered marine creatures.— Photo dantri.com.vn
HCM CITY (VNS) — Nearly 700 tourists, local leaders and residents on Phu Quoc Island in the southern province of Kien Giang participated in the Dugong Festival 2015 to raise awareness about the protection of Dugong and endangered marine creatures.

The annual event featured a parade from the People's Committee of Ham Ninh commune to Ham Ninh harbour, a popular tourist attraction on the island. After the parade, around 200 secondary school students who are members of six marine conservation clubs on Phu Quoc Island took part Dugong sand sculpture and photo contests and a game show on marine conservation.

Each club created a life-size model of a Dugong on the Beach and displayed photos taken by the students this year.

The activity was part of the project titled "Conservation of Dugong and Biodiversity of Phu Quoc and Tho Chu Island" implemented since 2013 by the non-profit organisation Wildlife At Risk and the Phu Quoc Marine Protected Area. — VNS