HCMCity (VNS/VNA) - Thenumber of species of wild birds, ♌fish, and pla♍nts in the Mekong Delta hasfallen rapidly in recent years because of a decline in foodresources and natural habitats.

In Tram Chim National Park in Dong Thap province, 13 bird species are indanger of extinction and need protection, according to park authorities. The speciesinclude red-headed cranes, white- winged ducks, yellow-breasted buntings,common kestrels, eastern grass owls, eastern marsh-harriers, spot billedpelicans and painted storks. Thenumber of red-headed cranes returning to the park fell from more than1,000 in 1988 to nine in 2019, and none this year. This was partlydue to a decline in areasof grass which provide food for the bird, which are the symbol of the park. Thepark, which covers an area of more than 7,300ha and contains mostlycajuput trees, is a Ramsar wetlands site of international importance. Thepark has about 800ha of lua ma, whichcan be translated as ‘ghostrice’ (Oryza rufipogon) for its ability to survive flooding. Therice variety has genes which scientists use to create new ricevarieties as the rice can grow in alum-affected soil and is highlyresistant to diseases transmitted by brown planthoppers and white-backedplanthoppers, and can grow in deep floodwater. Inthe past, lua ma grew wildly in the delta’sflooded areas during the flooding season, but the rice variety now exists inonly a few places in the delta, including in the park. InAn Giang and Dong Thap, the number of basa catfish fish in thewild has become scarce because of the low level of floods caused by therising level of the Mekong River in the rainy season. InCà Mau province, which is thecountry's largest shrimp producer, the number of wild birds has declinedsignificantly in recent years because of hunters and fewer ricefields. Overhuntinghas also led to the decline in wild birds, according to experts. Topreserve endangered fauna and flora species, local authorities in thedelta have focused on preserving wetland areas and forests toprovide natural habitats for birds, fish and plants.    InCa Mau, authorities are implementing a plan to develop the Ca Mau City bird garden located in the Ho Chi Minh President monument area in the2018-20 period. Theyhave planted more trees to provide a better habitat for birds, upgradedwater ditches in the garden to supply clean water for birds, and solvedpollution caused by bird waste. The3.1ha garden has about 53 species and 6,600 birds. The number of wild birds atthe garden can reach more than 12,000 in the peak reproductive season in Juneand December. In Dong Thap, local authorities are preserving threewetland areas – Tram ChimNational Park, the 279ha Go Thap Relic Area in Thap Muoi district,and the 63ha Xeo Quyt Relic Area in Cao Lanh district. Everyyear, the three wetland areas, in cooperationwith the province's Forest Protection Sub- department, devise plans to protecttheir biodiversity. Since2016, the sub-department, in cooperation with the people’s committees ofcommunes where there are wetland areas and forests, has organised 40courses for 2,000 residents about legal regulationsthat protect  forests, biodiversity and wild animals. Ithas also given local people 1,650 booklets and 19,000 leaflets aboutprotection of wild animals in the forests. TheTram Chim National Park is takingsteps to  preserve the wetland ecosystem and the genes of flora andfauna species, especially endangered birds like the red-headed crane andwhite-winged duck. The park has more than 130 flora species, 129freshwater fish species, 198 water birds, and 29 amphibian species./.