U.S. Grants Vietnam $10M to Combat Wildlife Trading Until 2021

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a project against wildlife trading which will receive $10 million in non-refundable aid from the U.S. government for the 2017-2021 period. The United States Agency of International Development (USAID) will finance the project which focuses on improving the Vietnamese agencies’ capacity in fighting against the trading of wild animals. The project will include three components addressing the importance of legal framework completion, legal enforcement, and improvement of people’s awareness. The project is part of the global support given to Vietnam in efforts to curb the trading and consumption of wild animals as Vietnam is believed to become one of the world’s hot transshipment ports for wildlife trading in the years to come. In response to the world’s conservation campaigns, Vietnam has raised jail punishments up to seven years to people who involve in wildlife trading. (VOV Mar 13, http://customsnews.vn/ Mar 14, Baochinhphu.vn Mar 10, Dai Doan Ket – Great Unity Mar 11)