Description

According to the Biodiversity Conservation Agency, Vietnam has strengthened law enforcement to improve the wildlife and biodiversity protection and livelihoods of residents affected by biodiversity decline. More specifically, the amendments of the 2015 Penal Code adopted in 2017 increase penalties and prison sentences of the violators. Additionally, Directive No. 29/CT-TTg issued in 2020 on urgent measures for wildlife management with stricter regulations and implementation in conformation with the CITES and relevant international treaties.

Within 5 years, from 2015 to 2020, over 70% of the wildlife crime cases were bought to trial. Some violators have been applied the higher penalties and prison sentences regulated by the 2015 Penal Code

Vietnam is a member of significant international agreements relating to wildlife protection and conservation including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the 1989 Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. The country has developed and carried out several programmes and action plans to protect and conserve wildlife. Examples of those are: Projects monitoring wildlife populations at some national reserves in Quảng Bình, Hải Phòng, Ninh Bình, Tuyên Quang, and Nam Định, or projects building biodiversity corridors in the Central, e.g., Quảng Nam, Quảng Trị, and Thừa Thiên Huế and the increase in the number of wildlife conservation zones.

Source & further information: “Vietnam strengthens law enforcement to protect wildlife, biodiversity” at https://en.vietnamplus.vn and https://vietnamnet.vn, accessed on 3 Jun 2021.