Vietnam raising efficiency in handling wildlife violations

Rhino horns seized as exhibits of a trafficking case in Vietnam (Illustrative photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese law enforcement agencies have rolled out stringent measures to fight wildlife trafficking, according to insiders.

In the northern border province of Lang Son, many cases were brought to trial in the past five years.

The province is the first locality to handle a case involving seahorse, which is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). A person sentenced to spend four years in prison for smuggling 128kg of the fish in February.

In addition, Lang Son authorities handed down the longest imprisonment term of 10 years to a person trafficking 21 dried black-shanked doucs, which is the heftiest punishment ever for wildlife trade in Vietnam.

Last year, Vietnam recorded more than 3,700 wildlife violations. They comprised of 2,594 cases in advertising illegal wildlife trade, nearly 1,000 others of captivity and over 180 of smuggling, according to the Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV).

The 2015 Penal Code, amended two years later, is a stride in handling wildlife trade in Vietnam, with violators being arrested in 95 percent of the cases detected in 2021, much higher than the rates reported in previous years.

The ENV has proposed the Government and relevant agencies to fine-tune regulations on the management of captivity in the country, especially of tigers.

Law enforcement agencies need to closely join hands to build an inter-sectoral mechanism in wildlife trade prevention and combat in a consistent manner, and work to raise awareness of reducing consumption demand for wildlife products, it said.

Sustainable livelihoods for people residing close to forest areas are also needed to ease pressure from poaching./.