Hanoi (VNA) – Relevant agencies and localities havetaken drastic measures to promote law enforcement on and increase publicawareness of wildlife protection, said the Education for Nature Vietnam on May11.

These measures have contributed to the effort to preservebiodiversity and put an end to the illegal use and trafficking of wildlifeacross the country.

The Health Ministry’s Agency of Traditional MedicineAdministration has directed departments of health in cities and provinces topromptly set tight control on advertisement and trade of bear bile and otherendangered wildlife products at local herbal medicine shops and traditionalmedical clinics.

The Education for Nature estimated that about 900 bearsare in captivity in over 250 private farms nationwide. Though bears receive thehighest level of protection in the international and Vietnamese laws, theillegal trade of bear bile and other bear products is still rampant in many citiesand provinces, particularly at the herbal medicine shops and traditionalmedical clinics.

Last month, the health department of central Nghe Anprovince has intensified inspection and management of local traditionalmedicine providers, who are prohibited to sell wildlife products, includingbear bile. Meanwhile, healthcare units at town and district levels have beentasked to increase awareness of the country’s policies and law on wildlifeprotection among these businesses. The authority was urged to impose strictpenalties on violations.

The People’s Committees of Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh Cityhave sent notices to agencies and people’s committees of their districts, communesand wards to call for strengthened measures to protect wildlife. The people’s committeesrequested officials and public employees to not engage in trading or consumingwildlife products, or using them as gifts.

In addition, relevant agencies were asked to educatepeople on harmful effects of the purchase and release of invasive alien speciesas well as the importance of wildlife protection. They must also conductregular inspections of local restaurants and farms to discover violations.

In the first quarter of 2018, some 110 wildlife individualswere saved or voluntarily transferred to authorities while 132 cases were finedfor including wildlife in the restaurant menus and launching outdoor and onlineadvertising on wildlife.

Vietnam has been getting tough on wildlife protection byintroducing amendments to the Penal Code that extend wildlife protection fromrare, precious and endangered animals to all types of wildlife.

Under the amended Penal Code 2015, which came into force on January 1, hunting,catching, killing, rearing, caging, transporting and trading wild animals iscriminalised. This extends to possession of dead animals, body parts andproducts of rare, precious and endangered wild animals. The maximum jail termfor crimes related to wildlife management has increased to 15 years.

Violations in protecting rare, precious and endangered wildlife are also viewedas “extremely serious offence” instead of “serious offence” as stated in theprevious code.-VNA