A poster of the Wildlife Meat Demand Reduction Campaign which is launched on March 15. (Photo courtesy of USAID Biodiversity Conservation) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) — The USAID Biodiversity Conservationhas launched a wild meat demand reduction campaign urging government agenciesand Vietnamese citizens nationwide to enhance their actions for wildlifeconservation.
“The Vietnamese new year is a good occasion to reflect on ourharmonious coexistence and stewardship for wildlife and nature as an imperativeto appreciate and safeguard biodiversity and uphold the nation’s internationalconservation commitments," said Vu Van Hung, Director of SustainableForest Management and Biodiversity Conservation (VFBC) project.
Meanwhile, Director of Office of Climate Change, Energy, andEnvironment/USAID Vietnam Annie Wallace shared: "USAID stands with theViệt Nam government and all citizens in the collective effort to conserve thecountry’s wildlife and natural habitats. We encourage everyone to be activepartners by becoming stewards of nature and wildlife and by helping to reducedemand for the consumption of wildlife.”
For generations, people in Vietnam have been consuming wildlifemeat and other products. The persistent demand for these products has led to asevere decline in the populations of wildlife in the country's naturalhabitats.
A survey on wild meat consumption conducted by WWF-Vietnam in 2021reveals that 90% of wild animals hunted illegally end up mainly in urbanrestaurants and the average consumption per a consumer of wildlife meat isseven times per year.
These crucial findings highlight the urgency of better actionplans to reduce wildlife consumption across sectors and at multiple levels.This entails significant investment in increasing public awareness throughcommunication channels to actively curb both the illegal wildlife trade and theconsumption of wildlife meat.
Moreover, in the upcoming period, ongoing efforts are essential tostrengthen the enforcement of biodiversity conservation laws, with a focus onintegrating and implementing biodiversity conservation requirements into thenational macro-policy planning process.
"While we work to support the improvement of law enforcementand conservation activities inside Việt Nam’s forest protected areas, to givewildlife populations a chance to survive and recover from the decades ofdecline, it’s crucial to stop the illegal consumption of wildlife meat,"said Nick Cox, Chief of Party, USAID Biodiversity Conservation project, WWF.
The campaign is promoting its messages through social mediaplatforms and public engagement activities across the country./.
