Vietnam News : Campaign aims to tell tourists about VN’s illegal wildlife trade


		Campaign aims to tell tourists about VN’s illegal wildlife trade HA NOI — A campaign has been launched to raise awareness among tourists of the illegal trade in endangered species of plants and animals. The plan was launched last week in Ha Noi, and has been organised by Viet Nam’s Forest Protection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in co-ordination with Traffic Southeast Asia-Viet Nam, and the British Embassy in Ha Noi. The campaign will provide information through the use of materials such as multi-lingual brochures, billboards, and posters, and will target Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat International airports, land-border crossings, and key tourist destinations, including hotels and restaurants. Dr. Nguyen Ba Thu emphasised that many tourists to Viet Nam have bought souvenirs crafted from threatened wild animals and plants without realising that the products were illegally obtained from the wild, or that they require permits for export. As a result, many tourists have had their souvenirs confiscated by Customs in Viet Nam or their home country. This not only reflects badly on the image of Viet Nam, but these purchases encourage the continuation of the illegal trade in wildlife. The campaign aims to resolve this situation, and better implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITIES) within Viet Nam. Viet Nam became a member to CITIES in 1994, and since that time has been striving to fulfil the country’s obligations under the treaty. Despite Viet Nam’s domestic law, which requires a permit to import and export threatened wildlife, due to a lack of man-power, equipment, and an insufficient legal framework to deal with offenders, endangered species and related products remain on open sale in Viet Nam. According to Julie Thomson, representative for Traffic Southeast Asia in Viet Nam, it is not surprising that many tourists who visit Viet Nam are unfamiliar with the country’s wildlife laws or CITIES requirements. Consequently, they often order food in restaurants or purchase souvenirs made from endangered species. A case in point are tortoise-shell souvenirs, which are made from critically endangered turtles. While these souvenirs are currently legal to buy within Viet Nam, and are commonly found in gift shops, they can not actually be exported. — VNS
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