Problem of Illegal Hunting in Vietnam
3/9/97
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Headline: Problem of Illegal Hunting in Vietnam
Sources: ENVIRO@salata.com (Environmental News)
peacenet-info@igc.apc.org
Date: 3/9/97
The scientific name of mang lon, is Megamuntiacus vuquangensis Tuoc et al,
1994.
ILLEGAL HUNTING MUST BE STOPPED
Never before has Vietnam had to confront the ominous extinction of wild
animals so seriously. Following are excerpts of an interview with DAVID
HULSE, Chief Representative of the World Wildlife Fund, on the matter.
The action plan for preserving the biological diversity of the Ministry of
Science, Technology and Environment (MOSTE) targets 61 projects to be
implemented during the next five years to expand wildlife reserves and
control illegal salesof forest animals. Could you elaborate on how to
undertake these projects successfully?
The contents of projects in the action plan have yet to be itemized. For
the time being, they provide only framework. Currently, financial sponsors
including those from the Netherlands and Denmark have expressed their
concern over environmental protection in Vietnam and their will to
participate in that task. The 61 projects mentioned choices for foreign
supporters to consider.
MOSTE, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP) have recently co-organized an international conference on
the action plan to preserve the biological diversity in Vietnam. What was
the outcome of the conference?
The success of this conference wasn't decided by whether someone said "I'
ll choose Project 1" or somebody else said "I'll take Project 2" but it
was successful because it fascinated the attendance of the people who show
an interest in Vietnam's environmental protection. After having overseen
documents, they concluded that "the documents are a good reference and
we'll consider them when making decisions." Dutch and Danish embassies
made excellent reports in favor of measures to protect the environment
applied in Vietnam.
What are your comments on the illegal sales of wild animals
in Vietnam?
All know that rare and precious mammals have gradually disappeared in
Vietnam such as elephants, tigers. sao la (Pseudoryx nghetinghensis, a
half ox, half goat animal). And mang lon (Megamuntiacus, a kind of large
deer). Illegal sales of rare, precious mammals have fostered illegal
hunting and pushed it to an alarming level We have a long list of programs
to protect important areas where precious mammals live and we have paid
special attention to species which need special care. A control project
has been implemented in Vu Quang in northern Vietnam -- the habitat
of sao la and mang lon. It can be said that we have succeeded in Vu Quang.
Cat Tien, Ba Be, as well as many other locations nationwide. We cannot
expect success in 'Vietnam unless we're able to consistently protect these
sites and support lives of the local people. We've heard of
a Government comprehensive protection program. It's fantastic, but its aim
is too broad. WWF's viewpoint is that we should focus our efforts on the
most important areas including Ba Be, Cuc Phuong, Vu Quang, Cat Tien. York
Don, and Con Dao.
In what ways will these sites be protected?
Suitable methods will be applied to each sire. For example, in Cuc Phuong,
locals have been resettled in areas outside the protection belt circled by
a buffer zone. The forest is inside. This model isn't applicable to most
of the remaining sites since people live sparsely there. We've worked hard
to educate the population about environmental protection awareness,
particularly those who live next to forests. Environmental protection
doesn't mean absolute prohibition of hunting, picking or gathering for the
sake of people earning a living. A species existent for thousands of years
cannot become extinct overnight. Thus, if an all-out interdiction is
imposed, it may be a mistake as it causes tension in the protected areas.
The most fretting issue is the massacre of wild animals for commercial
purposes. We should focus efforts on controlling this activity.
Professional wild animal dealers are really horrifying.
Have you visited major wild animal markets in Vietnam?
There are such markets in HCM City and Hanoi. I think the Vietnamese
Government should take measures to actually outlaw that business and
exercise adequately strict controls throughout the country.
Reported by NGUYEN TUAN
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Protecting and Fostering Wild Animals
Following are some extracts from Directive No.359/TTg dated May 29, 1996
of Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet on the urgent measures to protect and foster
wild animal species.
1. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the
Peoples Committees of provinces and cities directly under the Central
Government cooperate with the departments and offices of different levels
to tightly direct the inspection, control, and prevention of illegal
hunting of scarce, precious wild animals. These Include species of
ornamental birds from nature, especially those on the verge
of extinction; as well as controlling and preventing the
illegal trade, transport, export, and storage of precious,
scarce wild animals at domestic markets, border-line markets, traffic
routes, seaports, airports and other places.
The General Customs Department is responsible for cooperating with forces
in charge to control, supervise, and prevent the illegal export of animals
and produces originating from scarce, precious wild animals.
Organizations and private individuals violating the directive are to be
severely prosecuted in accordance with the law, from administrative
punishment to criminal prosecution.
2. Scarce, precious wild animals obtained through inspection
must be released back to their natural habitats. Before their release,
their state of health, diseases and ecological characteristics must be
carefully examined to ensure they can live and thrive.
3. The Ministry of Interior will cooperate with the Ministry
of Defence and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to
promptly guide related authorities to inspect and confiscate military
guns. air-compressed guns and other means used to hunt and trap wild
animals. The production and use of these means not in accordance with
current stipulations of the government are prohibited.
4. Hotels and restaurants are banned from dealing in "specialty" animals;
shops are forbidden to display, advertise and sell products related to
precious, scarce wild animals caught in nature, except for the cases
stipulated in Article 5 of this directive.
5. Presidents of the People s Committees of provinces and cities under the
Central Government are liable for inspecting and examining in order to
regrant licences to applications for merchandising specialities whose
origins are precious, scarce wild animals which have been licensed
before.
6. Organizations and private individuals are encouraged to
raise and foster species of wild animals including scarce, precious
animals for trade and export, but must strictly comply with the
regulations of Decree No.18/HDBT dated January 17, 1992 and current
stipulations and the CITES international convention.
7. The Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment
cooperates with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development and the Ministry of Fisheries to strengthen the
management of existing natural reserves, boost investigation
operations, study and confirm the breed and ecological
characteristics of each species or wild animals, especially
scarce, precious animals in order to list precious, scarce
animals in Vietnam and supplement their names in the CITES
Convention
The Saigon Times: July 20-26, 1996 p. 14-15.
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