16/08/2017
Việt Nam is recognized as a country having high biodiversity with approximate 7,500 microorganisms; 20,000 terrestrial and aquatic higher plants; 10,500 terrestrial animals; 1,000 freshwater fish species; in marine areas, there are more than 7,000 invertebrate animals, 2,500 fish species and 50 marine snake, turtle and mammal species. However, in recent years, the biodiversity of Việt Nam is degrading due to pressures of climate change and human activities such as landscape fragmentation and reduction, forest destruction, environmental pollution, hunting, destructive exploitation and illegal and unsustainable trading of wildlife. Therefore, enhancing conservation of endangered wildlife is one of key tasks in biodiversity conservation.
Status of biodiversity conservation
In recent years, the conservation of wildlife has achieved significant outcomes such as increase in rehabilitation area of ecosystems; new discovery of species having scientific and conservation significance in order to restore and develop rare and precious genetic resources. By now, Việt Nam has 164 forest protected areas, marine conservation areas and inland water protected areas with the total area of 2.2 million hectares which are critical habitats for rare, precious, and endangered wildlife species. Recently, Việt Nam has discovered more than 500 grey-shanked douc langurs in Kon Tum and more than 200 Phayre’s leaf monkeys in Thanh Hóa.
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Illegal wild fauna species and goods seized by authorities |
However, according to statistics, the number of species and the population of wildlife species in Việt Nam are reducing considerably; many rare, precious, and endangered species in Việt Nam have high extinction danger. According to the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), there were only 25 fauna species listed as endangered (EN) in Việt Nam in 1996, until September 2016, the figure has increased to 110. The total number of wildlife flora and fauna species in the Vietnam Red Book (2007) was 882, of which the number of rare fauna species increased from 365 (in 1992) to 418 (in 2007), the number of rare flora species increased from 356 (in 1996) to 464 (in 2007), of which 116 species are extremely endangered and 9 species moved from different endangered categories (in 2004) to the extinction-like level (of these 9 species are Sumatran rhinoceros, kouprey, tapir, otter civet, saltwater crocodile, and sika deer). The population of important species have reduced to the critical level, particularly large mammals and some primates (tiger, elephant, gibbons, langurs, Sao la..). Some flora species were previously categorised as nearly endangered but now are classified into extremely endangered such as hoàng đàn (Cupressus torulosa), bách vàng (Xanthocyparis Vietnamese), sâm vũ diệp (Panax bipinnatifidus), tam thất (Panax pseudoginseng)… This also happens to marine species; many high economic value fish species and marine biological resources are degrading seriously. According to Decree No. 160/2013/ND-CP of the Government dated 12/11/2013, currently, Việt Nam has 83 fauna species and 17 flora species that are classified as endangered that need prioritized protection.
There are many reasons causing reduction in the number of species and the population of wild species; however, illegal exploitation, trading and consumption of wildlife have increased significantly in recent years and are considered as main causes of remarkable reduction in species population in the wild. The illegal trading and consumption of wild fauna and flora species take place globally with annual earnings of about 5 - 20 billion USD; they are supplied to the market to be used as medicine, food, pets, decorations... which turn many endangered species to extinction in the world.
Some studies showed that Việt Nam is becoming a consumption market and a stopover of endangered wild fauna species such as tiger, bear, pangolin, freshwater turtle, snake and monitor lizard originated from other Asian countries; while products like rhino horns and hoofed animal horns originated from Africa are also sold to domestic consumers. Recently, about 200 wild animal species, including 80 rare species are being traded and consumed in the Việt Nam’s market. These species are mostly illegally exploited; it is estimated that there are about 4,000 - 5,000 tonnes of wild animal to be illegally transported to China every year, of which mostly are primates, bear, pangolin, turtle, snake, elephant horn, rhino horn and finished products and derivatives of wild fauna species.
According statistics of the Forest Protection Department, from 2010 to August, 2016, forest rangers discovered and handled 174,385 legal violation cases nationwide on forest management, development and protection and forest product management. Of which, the number of violation cases relating to wild fauna species management is 4,305, thousands of kg of wild fauna products and 60,217 wild animals of all types are confiscated, of which 3,418 animals are endangered and rare.
Efforts in conservation of endangered species
In order to conserve endangered species and to address illegal hunting, trading and consumption, in addition to obligatory tools and international agreements that Việt Nam is a party to such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (RAMSAR), Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITIES), Việt Nam has participated in many international and regional initiatives and commitments such as the Association of Southeast Asia Nations’ Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN); London, Kasane Statement on the Illegal Wildlife; Statements of the East Asia Summit and the Asian Pacific Economic Forum (APEC) Summit on promoting efforts in cooperation to prevent illegal trade and reduce consumption demand of wildlife.
Việt Nam also promotes bilateral and multilateral cooperation with many countries in the world such as signing the Memorandum of Understanding on prevention of rhino horn trade with South Africa (2012); Việt Nam - the US joint statement, of which wild fauna crime is considered as a serious crime; the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) among 12 countries, has a Chapter on Environment which regulates that member countries commit to adequately implement CITES and implement appropriate measures to prevent illegal trade of wildlife.
In addition, Việt Nam has gradually legalized and improved the legislations on biodiversity conservation and protection of wildlife. With the improvement of legislations on forest development and fishery, the Law on Biodiversity 2008 is the highest legal document, regulating comprehensively on conservation and sustainable development of biological species, endangered species... Furthermore, Decree No. 160/2013/ND-CP of the Government dated 12/11/2013 on criteria for species identification and management in the list of rare and endangered species prioritized for protection and many other documents on planning, strategies, action plans, and circulars which are also promulgated for enforcement of conservation of biodiversity and endangered species.
To enhance conservation and to control illegal hunting and trading of wildlife, on 20th February, 2014, the Prime Minister has promulgated Circular No. 03/CT-TTg on enhancing instructions and implementing measures for control and conservation of rare and endangered wild fauna species, which request Ministries, sectors and Central city’s and provincial people committees to comprehensively implement nine solutions to prevent illegal violation behaviors of international and domestic regulations relating to rare and endangered wild fauna species. Recently, the Prime Minister promulgated Circular No. 28/CT-TTg dated 17/9/2016 on some urgent solutions to prevent and control harm behaviors on wild fauna species. It encourages the mass media to enhance communication of good examples on conservation and control of wild fauna trade; discover and strongly criticize behaviors and actions in contradiction of the legislations of Việt Nam and international conventions on conservation of rare and endangered wild fauna and flora species.
Challenges in conservation of endangered species
The system of policies and legislations on biodiversity conservation in general and species conservation in particular is not holistic. There is overlapping in mandate and management responsibility between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in protecting wildlife, particularly rare and endangered species. Therefore, the development of guiding documents of the Law on Biodiversity 2008 has not reached consensus, which lead to late promulgation of guiding documents on species management and conservation. In addition, resources investing on species conservation are very limited, species conservation programs are not properly paid attention to. In protected areas, illegal exploitation of wild fauna species still occur due to conflicts between poverty, development and conservation.
The overexploitation and overuse of wild fauna and flora resources due to population growth cause pressures on endangered species conservation. In addition, deforestation and the conversion of forest into cultivation land, mineral extraction, infrastructure development, hydropower... also result in losses in habitats, for which the conflict between human and species in the wild is increasingly intensified. The increasing illegal and unsustainable consumption demand of endangered wild species for food, liquor, traditional medicine, pets, decorations and species dishes... makes the illegal wildlife trade activity become as serious as human trafficking and drug trade.
Awareness of the whole society on species conservation and biodiversity conservation is limited; a proportion of local people still have the habits of using endangered wild fauna species, which promotes wildlife hunting, trade and consumption and this has become an urgent and pressing issue in the society; awareness of authorities and sectors have been enhanced but not enough and effective to conserve rare and endangered species in an effective and comprehensive manner.
Some solutions to enhance biodiversity conservation
Improving policies and legislations and managing data to protect endangered species: Reviewing and revising the legal framework and policies on wild fauna and flora species, gradually removing overlapping and inconsistency among legal documents; creating sustainable livelihoods and guiding and encouraging communities living in the buffer zone to participate in protection and conservation of rare and endangered species; developing and implementing programs on conservation of endangered species that are prioritized for protection; managing biodiversity conservation entities to conserve genetic resources and restore populations of endangered species; developing mechanisms to ensure financial support for biodiversity conservation and species conservation.
Enhancing resources and capacity for effective management and enforcement of in situ and ex situ conservation of endangered species: Promoting training and education activities, formulating communication materials, enhancing enforcement and compliance of legislations on conservation management, strengthening skills on investigation and handling of serious criminals relating to wildlife; developing inter-sectoral cooperation mechanism, strengthening information exchange and participation and collaboration in conservation activities and enforcement activities.
Developing and expanding partnership relationships and scopes, institutionalizing campaigns on behavior change, reducing consumption demands of endangered species: Enhancing partnership relationships (among governmental agencies, non-governmental agencies, private sector, enterprises and socio - political organizations) to promote the collaboration and participation of different stakeholders in the society to build awareness and understanding of the whole society on endangered species conservation; promoting propaganda and dissemination of legal documents on wild fauna species protection to communities, particularly publishing information of violation cases of endangered species in the mass media to increase the deterrence and to prevent the violations; studying and propagating products replacing products that are originated from endangered wild fauna species...
Enhancing research and technology transfer on species conservation: Studying and promoting technology transfer on species rescue and release of species back to the wild, species inspection and identification; Investing in habitat conservation, monitoring and supervising species through the application of advanced tools.
Enhancing international cooperation in species conservation: Mobilizing resources (financial, technical and institutional) in order to implement international agreements and commitments and national legislations on wild species through regional and global cooperation mechanisms.
Dr. Hoàng Thị Thanh Nhàn
MSc. Nguyễn Thị Vân Anh
Biodiversity Conservation Agency
Vietnam Environment Administration
