Initiative launched to drive down tiger product consumption
Wildlife trade monitor network TRAFFIC on December 11 launched a three-year social marketing programme with an aim to reduce demand for tiger products in Vietnam.
Sarah Ferguson, Director of TRAFFIC’s Vietnam office, speaks at the launching ceremony of a social marketing programme to reduce demand for tiger products in the country on December 10 (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Wildlife trade monitor network TRAFFIC on December 10 launched a three-year social marketing programme with an aim to reduce demandfor tiger products in Vietnam.
Theproject will draw upon the latest in behavioural science to discourage themedicinal use of tiger products in the country, which is recognised as a maindestination market for the illegal tiger trade.
“Vietnamhas the power to make a huge impact on the future of tigers. This project willnot only work to discourage tiger product consumption, but it will also seek tofacilitate the country’s leadership on global conservation issues,” said SarahFerguson, Director of TRAFFIC’s Vietnam office.
Theinitiative will work to reduce individual consumption demand through amultimedia behaviour change campaign while calling on government partners, suchas the National Assembly, Ministry of Health and the Central Party Committee ofCommunication and Education, to strengthen wildlife protection policies.Partners within the traditional medicine sector will be key project allies asthey mobilise their peers against the prescription of illegal wildlife productsand promote legal alternatives.
“Wesupport this project as a positive effort to protect the reputation, credibility,and sustainable future development of the traditional medicine sector in Vietnam,”said Dr. Tran Xuan Nguyen, Head of Medical Professionalism Department of the VietnamOriental Traditional Medicine Association.
Despitelegal protections for tigers, demand for tiger products in Vietnam remainsstrong, with a TRAFFIC consumer survey from 2017 finding that 6 percent of Vietnam’surban population had used tiger products and that 64 percent of them wouldrecommend tiger products to others. Tiger bone glue was revealed to be the mostpopular tiger product and will be the focus of the project.
Theproject is being funded by the UK government through the Illegal Wildlife TradeChallenge Fund./.
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Sarah Ferguson, Director of TRAFFIC’s Vietnam office, speaks at the launching ceremony of a social marketing programme to reduce demand for tiger products in the country on December 10 (Photo: VNA) 
