Illegal hunting and trading of wildlifeare increasing at an alarming rate, posing a serious threat to rare andendangered species, conservationists have said.
“We need tougher measures to stop the activities of these tradinggangs,” said Dang Huy Huynh, president of the Vietnam ZoologyAssociation. “But the task is beyond our ability to respond to theproblem.”
Huynh, who has spent more than 50 years in the animal conservationfield, said more and more wild animals were in danger of extinction.
“Some of the animals are destined for captivity as pets, whilemany others are eaten or used in traditional medicines,” he said.
Huynh said nearly 1,000 species of rare animals this year were indanger of extinction, three times higher than those of a few years ago.
Huynh predicted that with this high rate of illegal hunting, thecountry’s ecological system would be seriously damaged in 10 years.
The association, in a seminar in Ninh Binh province on August 12, saidtigers, elephants, bears, pangolins and snakes were among the wildanimals targeted by poachers.
Forest rangers in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak last monthdiscovered an elephant which was killed for its tusks. Five otherelephants were killed in Dong Nai province in June. Hanoi policerecently stopped a taxi carrying two frozen tigers and two sets oftiger bones.
Hai Phong customs officers last month confiscated 511 kg of elephantstusks imported from Kenya . Late last year, Quang Ninh provincialpolice seized 4.7 tonnes of frozen pangolin imported from Indonesia.
Ninh Binh police this year seized nearly 1,000 tonnes of wild animals.
Traders earn 66.5 million USD a year from wild animal trading, according to the General Environment Department.
“With huge profits from the trade, despite fines from authorities, onlyfew animal traders give up the job,” Nguyen The Dong, deputy directorof the department, said.
Many poachers are poor people living near forests, and when caught byforest rangers, they agree to pay fines but resume the activity.
Conservationists have asked local authorities to create jobs for poor people as a way to protect wild animals.
According to the association, the country now has more than 21,000species of wild animals, including 7,750 of insects, 162 of amphibiansand 840 of birds./.
“We need tougher measures to stop the activities of these tradinggangs,” said Dang Huy Huynh, president of the Vietnam ZoologyAssociation. “But the task is beyond our ability to respond to theproblem.”
Huynh, who has spent more than 50 years in the animal conservationfield, said more and more wild animals were in danger of extinction.
“Some of the animals are destined for captivity as pets, whilemany others are eaten or used in traditional medicines,” he said.
Huynh said nearly 1,000 species of rare animals this year were indanger of extinction, three times higher than those of a few years ago.
Huynh predicted that with this high rate of illegal hunting, thecountry’s ecological system would be seriously damaged in 10 years.
The association, in a seminar in Ninh Binh province on August 12, saidtigers, elephants, bears, pangolins and snakes were among the wildanimals targeted by poachers.
Forest rangers in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak last monthdiscovered an elephant which was killed for its tusks. Five otherelephants were killed in Dong Nai province in June. Hanoi policerecently stopped a taxi carrying two frozen tigers and two sets oftiger bones.
Hai Phong customs officers last month confiscated 511 kg of elephantstusks imported from Kenya . Late last year, Quang Ninh provincialpolice seized 4.7 tonnes of frozen pangolin imported from Indonesia.
Ninh Binh police this year seized nearly 1,000 tonnes of wild animals.
Traders earn 66.5 million USD a year from wild animal trading, according to the General Environment Department.
“With huge profits from the trade, despite fines from authorities, onlyfew animal traders give up the job,” Nguyen The Dong, deputy directorof the department, said.
Many poachers are poor people living near forests, and when caught byforest rangers, they agree to pay fines but resume the activity.
Conservationists have asked local authorities to create jobs for poor people as a way to protect wild animals.
According to the association, the country now has more than 21,000species of wild animals, including 7,750 of insects, 162 of amphibiansand 840 of birds./.
