ENV

News Brief (E176, 29th July - 4th August, 2006)

eel Source: vietnamnet

Destructive methods decimate eel population
Kon Tum Province – In three communes upstream in Kon Plong District - Ngok Tem, Hieu and Mang But, the eel population has been greatly reduced.  Fishermen have abandoned traditional ways such as fishing and netting, preferring to use electrical devices or toxic chemicals.  The new methods are immensely devastating to the environment.  Those chemicals kill not only the eels but also other aquatic animals and plants, leaving the ecology in danger.

(Website of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment dated July 31, 2006)

Sustainable forest management institute opens
Hanoi – July 26, 2006, Vietnam’s Scientific and Technical Association of Forestry has established the non-governmental and non-profit Institute for Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Certification, a member of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

The institute was opened in order to foster sustainable forest management in various localities and support major national forests by building internationally-recognized standards prior to the commercial processing of Vietnam’s forestry products.  After launching, the institute submitted its five-year action plan aimed at helping 30% of Vietnamese forests qualify for certification from FSC by 2020.

(Website of www.intellasia.com dated July 31, 2006)

Improvement in forest protection
The National Forest Protection Department (FPD) has been implementing the Local Rangers Program for nearly 6 years.  Already 4,003 rangers are set up to oversee 4,716 forested communes.  Thanks to this initiative, rangers are able to uncover violations of forestry law and quickly handle cases, helping to protect nature.  Looking to Nghe An as one example, between 2001 and 2005 local rangers dealt with 16,054 cases of illegal forest exploitation, seized 25,248 m3 of timber, 32,500 kg of wildlife and raised nearly VND 70 billion for the national treasury.  The rate of deforestation and forest-related crimes was 77.5% and 73.2% lower, respectively, in 2006 than the year before.

However, there are still 1,369 communes in which forests cover over 2 km2 that have not had any local rangers.  At present, local rangers are only able to work part-time (about 50%) inspecting their areas and only 30% – 40% of them are well-trained.

(Vietnam Economics Times issue 152 dated August 1, 2006; Website of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment dated July 26, 2006)

Updates from ENV’s Wildlife Crime Hotline 1800 1522

Wildlife traders fined
Dong Nai province – On July 28, 2006, ENV’s Wildlife Crime Hotline Unit received a report that two violators including the owner of Restaurant 9999 were fined a total of over VND 28 million.  The Vinh Cuu district FPD uncovered 51 live animals (clouded monitor lizards, lorises, one grey langur, one stump-tailed macaque and others) and 68 kg of wildlife meat at the restaurant on July 12, 2005.

Tay Ninh province – According to the Tay Ninh provincial FPD, an individual caught illegally transporting 115 kg of turtles, including a mangrove terrapin (Batagur baska), in May 2005 was fined VND 8 million.  Batagur baska is a globally endangered species and is considered to be critically endangered.  It is listed in Appendix II CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species).  The mangrove terrapin was transferred to Cambodia on July 14, 2005.

Ho Chi Minh City– On July 24, 2006, a pet shop located on Le Hong Phong Street was fined VND 12 million for illegally trading 11 lorises (Nycticebus sp.).  Having purchased a loris from this shop, another pet shop on Pham Ngu Lao realized that it was a protected animal species and handed it over to the Ho Chi Minh FPD.

(Education for Nature - Vietnam)

Links to environmental articles (Vietnamese)

Ho Chi Minh City: Dust-polluting vehicles to be fined VND 250,000 and impounded 10 days
http://www.monre.gov.vn/monrenet/default.aspx?tabid=210&ItemID=16007

Phu Quoc Island: Coral reef and marine grass protection areas to be delineated http://www.khoahoc.com.vn/view.asp?Cat_ID=7&Cat_Sub_ID=4&news_id=7374

Co-ordinate to save tiger habitat http://www.monre.gov.vn/monreNet/default.aspx?tabid=210&ItemID=16134

Dong Thap province: Sarus cranes come back to Tram Chim National Park http://www.monre.gov.vn/monreNet/default.aspx?tabid=209&ItemID=15971

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