[wildtrade] Roundtable Meetings: Improving the control of the illegal wildlif e trade in Lam Dong and Dong Nai provinces, Vietnam

[Tran Thi Thanh Huong]

MEDIA RELEASE

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
âEURoeThis meeting has helped improve coordination between the agencies
responsible to control the illegal wildlife trade. Lam Dong province holds
populations of some of VietnamâEUR(tm)s most iconic species such as the
tiger, rhino and elephant and we must do everything we can to ensure their
survival into the futureâEUR.

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