ENV

News Brief (E154, 25th Feb - 2nd Mar, 2006)

Logger head sea turtle released
TraVinhProvince – On December 17th, the Provincial Marine Resource Protection Department released a 64kg logger head sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) back to the sea. A fisherman caught the turtle and sold it to a local resident. The logger head sea turtle is a protected marine species listed in Group IB, Decree 48.

(Website www.vnanet.vn dated 19 February 2006; The Tra Vinh Department of Marine Resources)

Wildlife trade seized
QuangNinhProvince – On February 28th, rangers from the Provincial Forest Protection Department (FPD) confiscated 100 crab-eating macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in Ha Long city. According to the FPD, one macaque died while the others were released in Bai Tu Long National Park. This is the second macaque trading case from Quang Ninh Province since the beginning of the year.

(Labor issue 60 dated 2nd March 2006; The Quang Ninh Provincial FPD)

Beached whale dies
QuangNgaiProvince – On February 24th, a dead beached whale was discovered in Binh Son district. The whale weighed 10 tons and was ten meters long and one meter wide. The following day, the Provincial Department of Nature Resources and Environment arranged to bury the whale to prevent environmental pollution.

(People issue 18464 dated February 27th 2006, the Quang Ngai Provincial Department of Nature Resources and Environment)

Man charged with violating the forest law
KonTumProvince – On February 28th, the Ngoc Hoi district’s People’s Court convicted a local man of illegally exploiting 34.6m³ of protected timber. The man was sentenced to 12 months jail.

(Labor issue 59 dated March 1st 2006)

Viet Nam’s celebration of World Wetlands Day at Xuan Thuy National Park
NamDinhProvince – On 25th and 26th February 2006, Xuan Thuy National Park hosted Viet Nam’s celebration of World Wetlands Day. Students from the Giao Thuy high school and people from the Ministry of Nature Resources and Environment (MoNRE) learnt about wetlands and went on a sightseeing tour of Xuan Thuy National Park.

Xuan Thuy was Vietnam’s first Ramsar Site and became a National Park in 2003. Besides Xuan Thuy, the Bau Sau – Cat Tien wetlands (Dong Nai province) was recently recognized as the second Ramsar Site in Viet Nam.

(Website of Vietnamnet dated February 27th 2006; Website of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment dated February 27th 2006; Press Release of National Environmental Agency, www.vnanet.vn dated March 1st)

New Publications

Primates of Viet Nam: Green Forest magazine – Issue 23

Education for Nature – Vietnam (ENV) has just released its 23rd issue of the student environmental awareness magazine “GreenForest” which is focusing on the Primates of Vietnam. This latest edition provides readers with an overview of the many different primate species native to Vietnam, including some of the world’s most critically endangered primates such as the eastern black-crested gibbon, the golden-headed langur and the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey

Through GreenForest, ENV aims to raise awareness amongst student readers, provide more information and encourage students to actively get involved in the protection and conservation of primates and their habitats.

This issue of GreenForest will be distributed to local communities bordering priority primate conservation sites and protected areas in Vietnam. As always, GreenForest will also be distributed free to participating community-based environmental education programs throughout the country.

For further information, please contact Nguyen Phuong Dung on (04) 7753 685.

Links to environmental articles (Vietnamese)

Illegal wildlife trade increasing at an alarming rate
http://www.monre.gov.vn/monreNet/default.aspx?tabid=209&ItemID=11713

Polluted air in most of Viet Nam’s urban areas
http://www.monre.gov.vn/monreNet/default.aspx?tabid=209&ItemID=11678

Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province: Unsustainable tourism development
http://www.monre.gov.vn/monreNet/default.aspx?tabid=209&ItemID=11665

Please note:  Past bulletins can be found on ENV's website www.envietnam.org

For more information, please contact:

Nguyen Phuong Dung
Education for Nature - Vietnam (ENV)
No.2/C5 tap the Dai hoc Ngoai Thuong, pho Chua Lang, Ha Noi.
Tel/Fax: 04-775 3685
env@fpt.vn or communication.env@fpt.vn