Leaders of southeastern Tay Ninh province and its sister Cambodian province Kam Pong Cham have signed an action plan on controlling the trading of wild fauna and flora species between the two provinces.

The signing took place at a two-day seminar on the issue that wrapped up in Tay Ninh on April 28.

Under the plan, both sides will set up an information exchange system and conduct joint patrols along the common border to control illegal wildlife hunting, transport and trading.

They will provide mutual assistance and jointly conduct investigations into violations of international laws on wildlife protection.

Both sides agreed to mobilise the necessary sources to prevent forest fires, preserve biodiversity and control illegal wildlife hunting, transport and trading.

The two sides will jointly disseminate their countries’ policies on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, in order to raise the awareness of people living along the border of the negative impacts of illegal wildlife hunting and smuggling.

At the seminar, participants shared their concerns over complex cross-border illegal wildlife trading, saying that the Tay Ninh-Kam Pong Cham route is the hot site of the issue.

Illegal wildlife traders have formed into a transnational crime network using modern facilities that hinder both countries’ efforts to fight such crimes, the seminar was told./.