An international seminar on a project to prevent the illegal transport, trafficking and consumption of wild animals and plants in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue was held in Hue city on August 11.

Participant at the seminar, jointly held by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) – Vietnam Programme and TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring network, in Southeast Asia , said that Truong Son region, including Thua Thien Hue province, is one of the areas with the highest biodiversity level in the world.

It has more than 204,000 ha of natural forests and a plentiful fauna and flora including over 2,000 species of plants, 132 species of animals with three newly-discovered hooves such as Sao la, Mang Lon and Mang Truong Son.

However, the region’s biodiversity is being seriously threatened as rare species such as tiger, rhino, elephant, pangolin, loris and tortoise have remarkably decreased due to the increasing illegal hunting and transport of these animals.

The provincial Department of Forest Management said since 2000, it has handled over 450 violating cases, seizing more than 1,550 individuals weighed over 7,100 kg. At present, there are still nearly 100 wild animal restaurants in the province.

According to department deputy head Ho Van Phuoc, to reduce the illegal transport of wild animals and plants, Thua Thien Hue province should perfect its legal system, increase punishment forms, improve the staff’s capacity and create a tie between local agencies, authorities and people.

The project to prevent the illegal transport, trafficking and consumption of wild animals and plants in central Thua Thien-Hue province will be implemented in the 2009-2011 period./.