[wildtrade] Provincial law enforcement agencies meet to discuss how to control the illegal wildlife trade in Lam Dong and Dong Nai Province

[Tran Xuan Viet]

Provincial law enforcement agencies meet to discuss how to control the
illegal wildlife trade
March 25th 2009

Provincial law enforcement agencies from Lam Dong and Dong Nai province met
in Da Lat City to discuss how they can improve approaches to crackdown on
the illegal wildlife trade that is threatening wildlife across the central
highlands.

Participants discussed their shared obstacles in tackling wildlife crimes in
the province and developed a set of practical and realistic means to
overcome these in both the long term and short-term. The agencies from Dong
Nai province made a joint commitment to improve co-operation between their
agencies to tackle ongoing, unresolved crimes such as restaurants selling
wild meat and illegal wholesale wildlife traders.

The meeting included representatives from the Forest Protection Department,
Environmental police, economic police, Market control, Department of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Natural Resources and
Environment, Dept of Animal Health, Procuracy, and Judiciary,.

Tran Thanh Binh the chief Lam Dong Forest Protection Department said “This
meeting has helped improve coordination between the agencies responsible to
control the illegal wildlife trade. Lam Dong province holds populations of
some of Vietnam’s most iconic species such as the tiger, rhino and elephant
and we must do everything we can to ensure their survival into the future”.

Experts from Hanoi University, Centre of Natural Resource and Environmental
Studies (CRES), and the Wildlife Conservation Society presented results from
surveys they carried out into the wildlife trade. These surveys highlighted
that wildlife in Lam Dong and Dong Nai province is under significant threat
from the illegal wildlife trade with these provinces acting as a source for
wildlife, a wholesale point and also as a final destination for wildlife to
be consumed in the many restaurants found in all towns and cities.

For further information please contact:
Miss Nguyen Thi Nhung - Wildlife Conservation Society
ntnhung at wcs.org  - 0973342508

============================
Tran Xuan Viet
Program Officer

VietNam Wildlife Trade Program
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)

Office: 1101, Hacisco tower, Ngo 107, Nguyen Chi Thanh, Hanoi
Tel: ++84 (04) 3773 7858; Mobile: ++84 (0)90 807 7219
Skype: tx.viet
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