Education for Nature Vietnam
News Brief (E163, 14th - 20th April, 2006)
Wildlife seized
Ha Noi – On April 26th, the Thanh Tri district police discovered 43 Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) (169 kilograms) being transported in Thanh Tri District. On the same day in Hanoi, the Hanoi Economic Police stopped a taxi that was carrying 358 kilograms of pangolins. According to the Hanoi Forest Protection Department (FPD), all the confiscated pangolins from both cases were handed over to the Soc Son Animal Rescue Center.
The Sunda pangolin is listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and strictly protected under Group-IB of Viet Nam’s new wildlife protection law, Decree No. 32/2006/ND-CP
(Labor issue 117 dated April 2006; Ha Noi FPD)
Turtles confiscated from trade
Kon Tum Province – On April 18th, border guards discovered two people illegally transporting 45 big-headed turtles (Platysternon megacephalum) in Ngoc Hoi District. According to an initial investigation, the turtles were transported over the Cambodian border in backpacks. The Ngoc Hoi FPD released the turtles in Chu Mom Ray Nature Reserve, and prosecuted two people for violating regulations on wildlife protection.
(Pioneer issue 84 dated April 27th 2006; Ngoc Hoi FPD)
Policeman shot in hunting accident
Dong Nai Province – The Dong Nai Police Department confirmed that a senior Lieutenant Colonel was accidentally shot dead while hunting. On April 23rd, the policeman was hunting wildlife with a friend Tai in Vinh Cuu District Nature Reserve. On the way back from the trip, he was accidentally shot when a shotgun discharged in his car, and died later in the hospital.
According to the Dong Nai FPD, wildlife found in his car included five lesser mouse deer, one large Indian civet, one yellow-throated marten, seven masked palm civets, one red squirrel, one greater spotted eagle, one giant Asian pond turtle and three red jungle fowl. Only the turtle was alive. All of the other animals had been killed.
(Youth Online dated April 28th 2006; Labor issue 116 dated April 27th 2006)
Government plans to build a Natural History Museum in Vietnam
The government recently approved plans to build a natural history museum in Vietnam. The estimated budget for the project is 2,500 billion VND, and the museum will be completed by 2020. Also included in the plans are a number of similar smaller museums spread throughout the country. The museums are being developed to meet the increasing demands of research and the need for facilities for teaching about Vietnam’s natural history.
(Sai Gon Liberated issue 10364 dated May 2nd 2006)
Instruction to prohibit wildlife display or slaughter in restaurant
HauGiangProvince – The Hau Giang People’s Committee recently issued a new instruction prohibiting local restaurants and hotels from keeping, displaying, breeding and trading wildlife. The committee formed an inspection team to remove billboards or menus advertising wildlife, and at the same time discouraged state officers from keeping and consuming wildlife.
(Pioneer issue 79 dated April 20th 2006)
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“Sony Green Invention - 2006” Contest Launched
Ha Noi – On April 26th, the 7th annual “Sony Green Invention” contest was launched for students from universities and colleges in Ha Noi. The contest invites students to use information technology and audio-visual products to raise environmental awareness and to carry out applied research in environment-related issues such as solutions for pollution control, pollution prevention and waste recycling.
The “Sony Green Invention Contest” is run by the Vietnam Sony Company, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) since 2000.The deadline for submissions is July 20th 2005. Further information about the contest can be found at http://www.sony.com.vn/sonygreen.
(Website of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment dated April 27th 2006)
New Publications
Release of the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
On May 2nd, The World Conservation Union (IUCN) released the 2006 IUCN Red List, in which the total number of species declared officially extinct is 784, and a further 65 are only found in captivity or cultivation. Of the 40,177 species assessed using the IUCN Red List criteria, 16,119 are now listed as threatened with extinction. This includes one in three amphibians and a quarter of the world’s coniferous trees, on top of the one in eight birds and one in four mammals known to be in jeopardy.
The new IUCN Red List is available for viewing at www.redlist.org
(Website of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment dated May 2nd 2006; Press Release of IUCN)
STOP THE WILDLIFE TRADE
If you observe wildlife being displayed, sold, transported, or kept illegally in captivity, notify your local Forest Protection Department or contact the ENV Wildlife Trade Hotline
1800-1522
YOU can make a difference!
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