Mekong - U.S. Partnership
Over the last few months, USAID partner Education for Nature-Vietnam (ENV) has mounted a campaign of surveys in four districts of Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi to document the illegal use and sale of endangered and protected species.
The project team inspected 2,326 restaurants, hotels, bars, traditional medicine shops, pet stores and markets across eight districts of the two cities. They documented violations such as the advertising of wildlife on restaurant menus, the display or sale of live animals, the presentation of illegal traditional medicine wildlife products for sale, the display of trophies and signboards advertising wildlife products.
The team reported violations to each district’s People’s Committee with a request that they collaborate with relevant authorities to address each violation. Two months later a follow-up team from ENV returned to and inspected the establishments previously reported to be in violation of the law.
The results of the follow-up indicated a 42 percent reduction in consumer crime in the eight districts targeted. The performance between Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City differed widely; Hanoi achieved a 39 percent success rate, while Ho Chi Minh City fared much better with a 52 percent reduction in consumer crimes.
Report cards summarizing these results have been sent to the eight district’s People’s Committee involved in the campaign which evaluates their overall effectiveness in dealing with consumer wildlife crimes. The survey was conducted with support from the USAID-funded Asia’s Regional Response to Endangered Species Trafficking Program.
The next phase will include a further follow-up by ENV to determine how each district has responded to the report cards. Curbing the consumption of endangered species in Vietnam is essential to the overall success of Asia’s Regional Response to Endangered Species Trafficking Program and the protection of the region’s and world’s wildlife.
Source: USAID/RDMA Regional Environment Office Weekly Update
