>>> Vietnam incinerates tonnes of illegal elephant ivory and rhino horn
As reported by international organisations, thousands of elephants, pangolins and rhinos are poached each year. Elephant ivory and rhino horn trafficking activities not only take place within one country but also see the involvement of international crime organisations. Without timely action, many wildlife fauna and flora populations will become extinct.
Since becoming a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1994, Vietnam has exerted a great deal of effort to join the international community in responsibly executing the convention. Alongside completing policies and laws relating to the management of the wildlife trade, authorised Vietnamese agencies have discovered, investigated and handled dozens of cases of transporting and trafficking elephant tusks, rhino horns, tiger bones, pangolin scales and freshwater turtles.
Most recently, on November 12, the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with relevant ministries and sectors, incinerated over two tonnes of elephant ivory, 70kg of rhino horns and some other items such as bear and tiger bones, which were the result of illegal wildlife trade cases in Vietnam, in the presence of responsible agencies, representatives from embassies, international organisations and media correspondents both domestic and foreign.
The move, which took place ahead of the IWT conference, has reflected Vietnam’s determination to responsibly implement its international commitments on combating illegal trade in wildlife, garnering the appreciation of the international community and contributing to enhancing Vietnam’s position on the international arena.
Together with joining CITES, Vietnam has been completing its legal system with strict regulations, making effective contributions to combating criminals trading in wild fauna and flora, calling for the joint efforts of the entire community to protect natural resources, and raising public awareness of the necessity of safeguarding nature and wildlife by way of practical actions, including minimising the demand for wildlife products, changing behaviours and strictly enforcing the relevant laws.
