Members of Hội An City authorities and the Việt Nam Bird Conservation Society at a board explaining wild bird protection in Cẩm Châu commune. The campaign will be expanded to the other areas in the city. — Photo courtesy of Võ Rin

CENTRAL REGION — The ancient town has launched awareness campaign covering a wild bird protection area across a paddy field of Cẩm Châu commune, calling for an end to free bird nets and hunting activities among illegal poachers.

Vice chairman of Hội An City’s people’s committee, Nguyễn Thế Hùng said three warning boards were put up at the commune before Tết (Lunar New Year), with plans to expand the campaign.

Hùng said the messages aim to raise awareness among community of the importance of protecting migratory wild birds, as Hội An is a favourite destination and a well-preserved traditional cultural and nature site.

Members of the Việt Nam Bird Conservation Society (VBCS) in central Việt Nam have asked the city to expand the protection area to the communes of Cẩm Hà, Cẩm Thanh, Cẩm Kim and Cửa Đại beach.

Võ Rin, a member of VBCS and a freelance photographer, said the protected areas would help the community recognise the importance of protecting wildlife to support tourism and landscape conservation.

He said the idea had first been raised through field surveys by the VBSC over five consecutive years.

Rin said the authority of Tam Kỳ City in the central Quảng Nam Province has also received the proposal of setting up no bird hunting zone by the VBSC group.

A warning board on wild bird protection set up at a rice field in Hội An. It includes a QR Code for smart phone users to find out more about the laws on wild bird protection. Photo courtesy of Võ Rin

The freelancer said Hội An is the first locality in central Việt Nam to boost the protection of wild bird species in community.

He said two exhibitions on migratory birds have been organised at Hội An City’s Chic Chillax – a paddy-field café – to spread the bird conservation message.

A ranger talks to a bird seller in Huế City. The central city had called for wild bird protection at communities, pagodas and public sites. — Photo courtesy of Huế City's Agriculture and Rural Development Department

In 2023, the department of Agriculture and rural development of Thừa Thiên-Huế Province (now central-governed Huế City) had called on 70 Buddhism pagodas stop buying birds from venders for release.

About 400 restaurants in Huế City have already agreed to ‘Say No’ to dishes made of wild birds, while more than 11,000 photos and billboards on wild bird protection have been installed across the city.

The department reported that nearly 10,000 bird traps with 29,000 metres of bird netting had been removed between 2021-24, while 600 birds had been rescued and then released back into nature.

VBSC group plans to provide free nature experience education for primary school students, raising their life-skills and awareness of the importance of migratory birds and important wetland ecology systems in Đà Nẵng and Hội An.

The group said some endangered species of migratory birds had been regularly recorded on beaches, river banks and vacant land plots in Đà Nẵng and Hội An in 2018-24.

Observation towers were built on Cửa Đại beach in Hội An by members of the VBCS to record appearances of migratory birds at the site.

Net-traps accounted for about 80 per cent of violation cases found by volunteers and bird cameramen in Hội An and Đà Nẵng.

During the migratory season (from September to April), freelance photographers and conservationists in Đà Nẵng and Hội An partner up to help remove wild bird snares and traps set by illegal poachers at vacant land plots. — VNS