Illegal hunting and trading of wildlife are increasing at an alarming rate, posing a serious threat to rare and endangered species, conservationists have said.
“We need tougher measures to stop the activities of these trading gangs,” said Dang Huy Huynh, president of the Vietnam Zoology Association. “But the task is beyond our ability to respond to the problem.”
Huynh, who has spent more than 50 years in the animal conservation field, said more and more wild animals were in danger of extinction.
“Some of the animals are destined for captivity as pets, while many others are eaten or used in traditional medicines,” he said.
Huynh said nearly 1,000 species of rare animals this year were in danger of extinction, three times higher than those of a few years ago.
Huynh predicted that with this high rate of illegal hunting, the country’s ecological system would be seriously damaged in 10 years.
The association, in a seminar in Ninh Binh province on August 12, said tigers, elephants, bears, pangolins and snakes were among the wild animals targeted by poachers.
Forest rangers in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak last month discovered an elephant which was killed for its tusks. Five other elephants were killed in Dong Nai province in June. Hanoi police recently stopped a taxi carrying two frozen tigers and two sets of tiger bones.
Hai Phong customs officers last month confiscated 511 kg of elephants tusks imported from Kenya . Late last year, Quang Ninh provincial police seized 4.7 tonnes of frozen pangolin imported from Indonesia.
Ninh Binh police this year seized nearly 1,000 tonnes of wild animals.
Traders earn 66.5 million USD a year from wild animal trading, according to the General Environment Department.
“With huge profits from the trade, despite fines from authorities, only few animal traders give up the job,” Nguyen The Dong, deputy director of the department, said.
Many poachers are poor people living near forests, and when caught by forest rangers, they agree to pay fines but resume the activity.
Conservationists have asked local authorities to create jobs for poor people as a way to protect wild animals.
According to the association, the country now has more than 21,000 species of wild animals, including 7,750 of insects, 162 of amphibians and 840 of birds./.
“We need tougher measures to stop the activities of these trading gangs,” said Dang Huy Huynh, president of the Vietnam Zoology Association. “But the task is beyond our ability to respond to the problem.”
Huynh, who has spent more than 50 years in the animal conservation field, said more and more wild animals were in danger of extinction.
“Some of the animals are destined for captivity as pets, while many others are eaten or used in traditional medicines,” he said.
Huynh said nearly 1,000 species of rare animals this year were in danger of extinction, three times higher than those of a few years ago.
Huynh predicted that with this high rate of illegal hunting, the country’s ecological system would be seriously damaged in 10 years.
The association, in a seminar in Ninh Binh province on August 12, said tigers, elephants, bears, pangolins and snakes were among the wild animals targeted by poachers.
Forest rangers in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak last month discovered an elephant which was killed for its tusks. Five other elephants were killed in Dong Nai province in June. Hanoi police recently stopped a taxi carrying two frozen tigers and two sets of tiger bones.
Hai Phong customs officers last month confiscated 511 kg of elephants tusks imported from Kenya . Late last year, Quang Ninh provincial police seized 4.7 tonnes of frozen pangolin imported from Indonesia.
Ninh Binh police this year seized nearly 1,000 tonnes of wild animals.
Traders earn 66.5 million USD a year from wild animal trading, according to the General Environment Department.
“With huge profits from the trade, despite fines from authorities, only few animal traders give up the job,” Nguyen The Dong, deputy director of the department, said.
Many poachers are poor people living near forests, and when caught by forest rangers, they agree to pay fines but resume the activity.
Conservationists have asked local authorities to create jobs for poor people as a way to protect wild animals.
According to the association, the country now has more than 21,000 species of wild animals, including 7,750 of insects, 162 of amphibians and 840 of birds./.
