12 critical actions to safeguard wildlife

"National Counter Wildlife Trafficking Priorities 2024" is an annual document first developed in 2016 to assess and prioritize pressing issues to effectively address illegal wildlife trade, contribute to the protection of endangered and rare wildlife populations, and gradually eliminate Vietnam's role in the global illegal wildlife trade network.

Through this document, ENV has recognized Vietnam's efforts and progress in combating wildlife violations and raising public awareness about wildlife protection. At the same time, it highlights major challenges such as fully dismantling cross-border wildlife trafficking networks.

ENV also proposes publishing a list of wildlife species permitted for commercial farming in Vietnam as an immediate solution to address illegal importation and the legalization of wildlife with illegal origins.

Another troublesome issue proposed by ENV is to prevent the entry and proliferation of exotic pets. In 2023 alone, ENV recorded over 310 violations involving more than 19,300 exotic wildlife individuals being traded or kept in captivity.

According to Ms. Bùi Thị Hà, ENV’s Deputy Director, efforts to prevent wildlife extinction in Vietnam and globally face numerous challenges. All actions listed in "National Counter Wildlife Trafficking Priorities 2024" are urgent and require intervention from State management and law

ENV believes that the National Strategy for Biodiversity by 2030, with a vision to 2050, represents Vietnam’s strong commitment to species conservation goals. The organization hopes this document will serve as a valuable reference for policymakers and law enforcement agencies.

"ENV particularly emphasizes the need to focus on investigating, arresting, and prosecuting leaders of major wildlife trafficking rings, as well as issuing a list of wildlife species permitted for commercial farming to improve the management and protection of wildlife and slow biodiversity loss in Vietnam",  stated Ms. Bui Thi Ha.

The 12 critical actions identified by ENV for 2024 include:

• Take down major international trafficking networks and their leaders
• Investigate major seizures at ports to ultimately identify, arrest,and prosecute the owner behind these shipments
• Eradicate corruption
• Prevent criminal behavior through establishing effective deterrents
• Address laundering of wildlife and strengthen protection for Vietnam’s biodiversitycontrols of commercial through the issuance of a “clean list” of species viable for farming
• Develop one overarching law on non-commercial/conservation facilities
• Tackle tiger trafficking in Vietnam, especially in Nghe An province
• Pull the plug on wildlife crimes on the internet
• Finish the job: Ending bear bile farming in Vietnam and closing down all bear farmsin the nation’s capital
• Arrest the growth of the exotic species trade
• Phasing out illegal bird trade step by step
• Reduce consumer demand for wildlife through activegovernment-led information campaigns on TV, radio, in the media, and on the internet