Thanh Nien News : Vietnam celebrities join campaign to protect wildlife

Source : Thanh Nien News, Vietnam, 22 Jan '07
By : VnExpress, WWF

Vietnam celebrities join campaign to protect wildlife

Five Vietnamese celebrities from various fields - science, beauty, sports, music, and TV – will appear on TV and in newspapers to appeal to people not to consume wildlife products.


	Clockwise from top left: Huy Tuan, Thao Van, Ly Duc, Lan Dung; center: Ngoc Khanh

Professor Lan Dung, Miss Vietnam Ngoc Khanh, body builder Ly Duc, composer Huy Tuan, and television host Thao Van will join a public service announcement (PSA) campaign aimed at changing consumer attitudes about unsustainable wildlife consumption.

The campaign, consisting of five TV PSAs and five print PSAs, is a part of a larger awareness-raising initiated by the Indochina World Wild Fund (WWF) and TRAFFIC, a global network that keeps track of the trade in wild animals.

According to recent surveys, the consumption of wildlife products in Vietnam always increases dramatically around the end of the lunar year, when people often throw parties for their business partners and friends.

As wildlife products are considered a symbol of social status and wealth, they are consumed extensively as party food and gifts around Tet, primarily in January and February.

The TV PSAs will be broadcast on Vietnam Television throughout January and February, before and during Tet.

The five celebrities will talk about different issues related to unsustainable wildlife consumption, and then repeat the campaign slogan: “Let’s have a Tet without consuming endangered wildlife products.”

While Professor Lan Dung, a member of the National Assembly, will warn people about the illegality of this consumption, famous body builder, Ly Duc, will advise people to play sports to keep fit instead of using wildlife products.

Miss Vietnam 1998, Ngoc Khanh, will discuss the fact that many species face extinction due to unsustainable consumption.

Renowned composer Huy Tuan will call on everyone to contribute to the conservation of Vietnam’s natural heritage, while television personality Thao Van will mention the necessity of maintaining sustainable consumption practices in a time of rapid economic development in Vietnam.

The print PSAs will appear in popular publications, particularly the Tet editions, before and after the New Year.

They will also be made into posters and posted in restaurants and public places around Hanoi.