Vietnam News : Ministry to cut down more timber poachers

Dac Lac forest rangers confiscate timber illegally removed from York Don National Park. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Tien Tri

Ministry to cut down more timber poachers

HA NOI — Vietnamese across the country were battling timber poachers to save the country’s forests, said the agriculture and rural development minister.

Le Huy Ngo said the ministry was capturing poachers, shutting down the illegal wood trade and putting restaurants serving wild animal out of business in accordance with the Prime Minister Phan Van Khai’s Decision 12.

He said provinces were creating lists of areas frequented by poachers. Officials from various sectors checked the spots at regular intervals.

"Our forest management officers landed in some embarrassing situation against timber poachers," he said. "We’ve asked official to hand out stiff sentences to poachers who attack them."

Nguyen Vi Ha, chairman of the People’s Committee of Gia Lai Province, said the situation was improving in districts such as Chu Prong and Duc Co. However, there were too few forest management officers to protect the entire forest.

"Prime Minister Phan Van Khai issued guidelines to fight against timber poaching," said Ha. "However, there is a lack of co-ordination between various sectors."

About 900 forest violations have been unearthed since Khai issued Decision 12 in June. Ten poachers appeared in court for transporting 2,150cu.m of wood and 600kg of wild animals.

Ha said officials confiscated 91 motorbikes and 55 cars for transporting poached wood, as well as tools for cutting down trees.

The province recently set up three mobile teams to keep an around-the-clock watch on the area bordering Cambodia, he said.

Nguyen Dinh Cuong, chairman of the forestry management department in HCM City, said there was less poaching in the city, because most of the poachers were under arrest.

However, it was still a popular place to trade wild animals. Some smugglers hid animals in new cars or the tanks of trucks.

"We recently asked all restaurants to stop selling dishes prepared with wild animal. They agreed, but we discovered they published two menus," said Cuong.

"When the inspectors visited, the owner showed them a menu without wild dishes. The menus with wild dishes came out after the inspectors left."

There were no regulations to punish people for advertising wild animal products, he added.

Ngo said the ministry would increase the number of forest management officers soon.

"Many countries have forest police. Therefore, we are planning to put this into the law we are drafting on forest development," he said. "The ministry has sent delegations to China to learn from their experience. Forest police there are in charge of controlling the forest, while forest management officers are responsible for protecting forest."

Statistics compiled by the ministry suggested there were more than 363,600 forest violations since 1998. There were more than 43,000 cases of poaching, 29,300 cases of burning and 248,200 animal smuggling and poaching cases.

There were 300 incidents between forest management officers and poachers from 1997 to April 2003. Twelve officiers died and 200 others were injured. — VNS

PM urges tough stance

HA NOI — Prime Minister Phan Van Khai issued on Tuesday a document about the attacks against forest management officers in Gia Lai Province.
Khai said the provincial People’s Committee chairman should order local security agencies to bring poachers who attack officers to court.
It should confiscate tools and trucks used to cut down and transport wood. If timber poaching incidents occur, local officials would be held responsible, he said.
Khai said he also wanted the committee chairman to tell him why the province has not implemented Decision 12 effectively.
Last week, the deputy chairman of the People’s Committee of Gia Lai Province confiscated a private mill’s operating licence for the first time.
Ro Cham Bom discovered Duc Minh Enterprise was operating near Ia Grai District’s protected forest during an inspection last Thursday.
Nguyen Duy Khiem, head of the district’s forest management office, said the province’s Department of Planning and Investment issued a licence to Duc Minh Enterprises in September 2003.
Khiem said his office discovered the business, owned by Nguyen Thi Diep, violated forest regulations and asked it to yank its business licence.
A report submitted by Ia Grai District’s forest management board suggested Duc Minh illegally transported 33cu.m of wood from Sa Thay District in Kon Tum Province to Ia Grai District in September. It was fined VND24 million (US$1,500) by the provincial People’s Committee.
Last month, the enterprise illegally transported 24cu.m of wood. About 20 people armed with sticks attacked the forest management officers, who used tear gas to counter the assault.
Nguyen Vi Ha, chairman of the People’s Committee, said the province blamed the director of the Planning and Investment Department for granting a licence to the business. It also said Nguyen Van Tan, head of the provincial Market Management Department, was responsible for proposing to return the confiscated wood and vehicles to it. — VNS