Man fined for catching snails in national park

Pham Van Tan, 35, a local in Con Dao Island District off Ba Ria – Vung Tau, received the fine for administrative violations in fishery sector.

On the night of September 28, Tan rowed a motorized raft he built into Giong beach of Bay Canh Islet to catch sweet snails.

When he had collected five kilos of the snail, he was busted by the park rangers.

Though the snail he caught is not either rare or endangered, the area he was fishing belongs to the ecological restoration area within the marine protected area of Con Dao National Park, which means all fishing activities are prohibited.

In 2018, Tan was sentenced to more than 10 months in prison by the People's Court of Con Dao district after he was caught transporting 17 sea turtle eggs.

Con Dao National Park is one of nine Ramsar sites in Vietnam.

A Ramsar site refers to a site designated to be of international importance under "The Convention on Wetlands," an intergovernmental treaty that provides a framework for the conservation and optimal use of wetlands and their resources.

The park covers total area of 19,998 hectares (including 16 islands and islets) comprising of forest and forestland of 5,998 hectares, biodiversity marine protected area of 14,000 hectares.

It is home to 144 species of animals, including 28 species of mammals, 69 species of birds, 39 species of reptiles, and more than 1,320 marine species.