Directive No. 29/CT-TTg on a number of urgent solutions for wildlife management

DIRECTIVE

On a number of urgent solutions for wildlife management^[1]

Intensifying the implementation of domestic laws, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and relevant treaties is Vietnam’s guideline that is consistently carried out in practice in order to responsibly fulfill its relevant international commitments. Over recent years, the legal system on conservation, protection and sustainable development of wildlife species has been improved to conform to international law and the country’s reality. Authorities at all levels and sectors have taken more radical and synchronous solutions to translate laws into life, especially in the struggle to stamp out syndicates involved in illegal transport, trade and consumption of wildlife species, thereby creating positive and substantial progresses in numerous aspects.

However, in reality, illegal hunting, catching, slaughter, transport, trade and consumption of wild fauna species remain complicated in a number of geographical areas and localities, increasing the threat of extinction of numerous wild fauna species in their natural habitats, thus adversely affecting the ecological balance, human health and profile of Vietnam in the international arena, and concurrently posing risks of transmission of epidemics from wild animals to humans, cattle and poultry. In order to ensure the strict implementation of the law on wildlife management, the Prime Minister gives the following instructions:

1. Pending the issuance of new instructions of the Prime Minister or in special cases subject to permission of the Prime Minister, to stop import of wild animals, whether alive or dead, and eggs, spawns and ova, larvae, parts and derivatives thereof (except aquatic animal species used for production and processing of food or livestock feed already announced in accordance with law; parts of wild animals processed for use as pharmaceutical materials or production materials or into finished products). All cases of import of wild animals in contravention of this Directive shall be strictly handled in accordance with law for illegally imported wild animals. For wild animals with permits for export into Vietnam granted by foreign CITES Management Authorities, border-gate customs offices shall request their owners to return them to places of departure. In case owners of wild animals fail to do so or are unidentifiable, such wild animals shall be handled in accordance with Vietnam’s law on handling of illegally imported wild animals.

- Ministries shall, within the ambit of their functions and competence, review relevant legal documents in order to propose competent authorities to revise or add sanctions to be imposed for acts of illegally consuming wild animals.

- To resolutely eliminate marketplaces and places for illegal trade of wild animals. To strictly control and handle acts of illegally hunting, catching, trading in, transporting, slaughtering, consuming, storing, advertising and harming wild animals, especially mammals, birds and reptiles in their natural habitats.

- All citizens, especially cadres, civil servants and public employees and their relatives, shall refrain from illegally hunting, catching, trading in, transporting, slaughtering, consuming, storing and advertising wild animals.