Rescued bears kept in a semi-natural habitat (Photo: VNA) Talking to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of theWorld Wildlife Day (March 3), Ha highly valued many organisations’ assistancefor authorities in monitoring violations.
However, she noted, there remain a number ofchallenges to the fight against wildlife crimes.
The discovery of infringements and seizure ofprohibited goods are initial successes, but they are only useful when helpingwith the investigation into trafficking rings and ringleaders, she said.
Ha pointed out that although the legal system onthe conservation and sustainable development of wild animals has been graduallycompleted, wildlife-related violations remain complex in some localities,posing higher extinction risks to many wild species in the nature and negativelyaffecting ecological balance, human health, and Vietnam’s prestige in theworld.
In 2020, ENV recorded 2,907 wildlife-relatedviolation cases, almost doubling the figure in 2019. Among them, there were1,956 advertising cases, 863 caging cases, and 98 transportation ones.
Monkeys, bears, tigers, elephants, and pangolinsare among the species involved in violations, ENV found.
Between 2015 and 2020, the number of uncoveredand handled criminal cases related to wildlife rose 44 percent, showing an improvementin the settlement of wildlife crimes since the 2015 Penal Code, revised andsupplemented in 2017, took effect on January 1, 2018, Ha said.
She added that since 2005, ENV has operated afree hotline for wild animal protection to receive people’s information aboutillegal wildlife trafficking, hunting, transport, and storage.
In the time ahead, the organisation willmaintain this hotline and boost communications to raise public awareness of theissue and thus, reduce demand for wildlife products. It will also continueworking with relevant agencies to help with the perfection of policies and lawsrelated to wildlife, Ha added./.
VNA
