Vietnam PM Asks Agencies to Tighten Control over Transnational Wildlife Trading

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a directive asking state agencies to take bold measures to combat any activities relating to trafficking of wild animals, especially transnational cases, according to the Government News Portal website. Under the document released last weekend, the Ministry of Public Security needs to cooperate with the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to conduct raids against crimes on wildlife trading, import and re-export. The PM asks a number of agencies and localities to check the selling of elephant tusks and rhino horns at craft villages, airports, and souvenir shops to curb the trading of wild animal products which are rather rampant in Vietnam. He also asked the agencies and local authorities to strictly punish anyone who is involved in trading. He noted that heads of state agencies and localities need to bear responsibilities for the cases. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development needs to work with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to raise people’s awareness of wild animal protection while the Vietnam Television (VTV) and the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) are asked to intensify coverage of news on wildlife protection. Earlier last week, Vietnam and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS opened a training course on strengthening the enforcement of law on wildlife protection, aiming to train officers of forest protection departments and border guard forces from seven cities and provinces in the Central Highlands and southeastern regions. Central Highlands provinces are considered as the hotspots where many kinds of endangered species and wildlife products being smuggled through their borders with Cambodia and Laos. Tightening control over wildlife trading is part of Vietnam’s efforts to ease the consumption and transport of wild animals which international organizations have called for. (Thoi Bao Kinh Te Viet Nam – Vietnam Economic Times Sept 19 p3, Thutuong.chinhphu.vn Sept 17, Vietnamplus.vn Sept 17)