Vietnam Bans Billion-Dollar Wildlife Trade Amid Pandemic
The new restrictions aim to tackle the country’s reputation as a major hub for domestic and international wildlife trafficking.
Vietnam’s Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, has issued a directive aimed at tackling the country’s booming illegal wildlife trade, which has come under increased scrutiny during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The directive seeks to ban the import of live wild animals and products made from wildlife, as well as cracking down on wildlife markets, reports Reuters.
Existing laws against the illegal hunting and trading of wildlife will also now be tightened, with particular focus on the country’s soaring online trade, which sees animals listed for sale on popular websites.
Animal charities have welcomed the directive as a major move in stopping the country’s billion-dollar wildlife trade.
“Vietnam has many laws protecting wildlife and biodiversity already, but law enforcement has always been a huge challenge,” says Hong Hoang, founder of environmental NGO, CHANGE. “I really hope this time, using the strong language of the directive, we can engage with the provincial governments, the police, Customs, and the media to make sure the directive is seriously implemented by all sectors at all levels.”
Some conservationists, however, have warned that the ban must go further, and that more will need to be done to address the issue properly.
“Hopefully this will not be lip-service”, warns Trang Nguyen, founder of the Vietnam-based conservation organization WildAct. “I think the strongest message from the government would be physically closing down the domestic illegal wildlife markets, most of which have been around for a very long time and are rather well-known.”
The directive follows similar action taken by neighboring China, who approved a ban on the trade and consumption of wildlife earlier this year. As a result, 20,000 wildlife farms have been shut down around the country.
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