Vietnam makes effort to deter people from poaching wild, migratory birds

Vietnam is considered one of the most important areas in the network of migratory and endemic bird routes, with 63 globally important bird regions and 7 endemic bird regions. Of more than 900 species of birds that have been recorded in the Southeast Asian country, 99 of them need conservation attention, 10 are critically endangered, 17 are endangered, 24 are endangered and 48 are about to be threatened.

The areas of wild birds and migratory birds have created important natural values, contributing to nature conservation, biodiversity conservation, tourism development, and building the image of Vietnam.

Although the Party, State, and sectors and levels have been making great efforts in protecting biodiversity, including wild and migratory birds as well as important bird areas, hunting and consuming wild birds, especially migratory birds, is still rampant in many localities, negatively affecting biodiversity and environment.

Accordingly, the Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) to review and promulgate regulations on the conservation of wild and migratory birds in Vietnam.

Additionally, the Ministry should issue guidelines for the management and protection of wild and migratory birds and the implementation of management and protection activities for wild and migratory birds, including the protection of habitats, transboundary migration routes, and their stopping points.

The MONRE should coordinate with relevant countries and international organizations to strengthen the protection of wild birds, migratory and transboundary routes, important migratory birds and their stops in Vietnam. Moreover, it should coordinate with international organizations to establish a system of tracking and monitoring important flight routes of migratory birds.

The Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to direct forest rangers to coordinate with local authorities and relevant agencies in the area to strengthen patrols, control, prevent, arrest and strictly handle illegal hunting, catching, killing, raising, confining, transporting, trading, processing, storing and consuming wild birds, migrating, especially in the migratory season from September 2021 to April 2023.

Last but not least, the Ministry should liaise with relevant agencies to propose, supplement, and complete legal provisions on sanctions for violations of hunting, shooting, and trapping wild and migratory birds.

The Ministry of Public Security was asked to direct the environmental police force to strengthen measures to fight, prevent and strictly handle violations of the law on hunting, slaughter, raising, transportation, trading, storage, and consumption of wild and migrating birds.

Furthermore, the Ministry should direct responsible agencies to strengthen investigation, detection, and timely handling of violations, especially dismantling lines of illegal trading, stockpiling, and transportation of wild birds for transnational immigration.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade directs the market management force to assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with relevant specialized agencies in, strengthening the management and timely handling of business activities, transportation, storage, and consumption of illegal wild birds, and migratory animals.

In addition, it will pay visits to localities for inspection and handle illegal forms of advertising and online business on wild and migratory birds and tools for trapping and catching birds with nets, traps, homemade guns, and shotguns.

The Prime Minister also instructed people’s committees in provinces and cities to direct local authorities and law enforcement agencies to strengthen control, prevent and strictly handle acts of hunting, catching, trapping, slaughtering, illegally transporting, trading, processing, and storing wild and migratory birds. Simultaneously, the Ministry will terminate markets and venues that illegally sell wildlife and migrating birds in the area.

Above all, the Ministry and relevant agencies should launch an awareness campaign to refrain people from hunting, catching, trapping, and shooting wild and migratory birds or illegally consuming wild and migratory birds.