US-supported project strengthens Vietnam's wildlife protection efforts

The virtual event was attended by delegates from various ministries, state agencies, business associations, social organisations, and international organisations united in their efforts to protect Vietnamese wildlife.

Over the past five years the USAID Saving Species has effectively supported the Vietnamese Government to improve and harmonise the legal system regarding wildlife protection, strengthen law enforcement and prosecution of wildlife crimes, along with reducing demand and the illegal consumption of wildlife. 

“USAID is proud to support Vietnam to reduce consumer demand for illegal wildlife products, build wildlife law enforcement and prosecution capacity, as well as augment and harmonise the legal framework for combating wildlife crime in Vietnam. We are very pleased to see that the co-operation between the two countries through this project has brought meaningful results. Vietnam is a critical partner of the United States for countering wildlife trafficking,” said Ann Marie Yastishock, mission director of USAID/Vietnam, at the event.

Deputy Minister of the MARD Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Quoc Doanh emphasised, “The joint effort of USAID and Vietnamese government through USAID Saving Species project has contributed significantly to protect wildlife species and maintaining important eco-services to the national and regional sustainable socio-economic development.”

The USAID Saving Species project supports the development, amendment, and adoption of four important legal documents that can be considered key to ensuring consistent management and protection of local wildlife, resolving legal gaps, and overlapping regulations.

USAID Saving Species also trained over 2,600 officials from numerous agencies, including forestry protection departments, customs officials, environmental police, wet market managers, border guards, courts, and prosecutors in order to help them tackle wildlife crimes in a more effective manner. Prosecution rates for wildlife violation arrests have also increased from 25% in 2018 to 75% in 2021.

In co-ordination with the CITES Management Authority of Vietnam, the project ran three large social behaviour change communication campaigns that raised public awareness about wildlife protection legislation, and targeting consumers of ivory, rhino horn, and pangolin products. This was done whilst encouraging traditional medicine practitioners to reduce their use of wildlife for health treatments. 

The USAID Saving Species project also benefitted from its partnerships with the MARD and CITES Management Authority of Vietnam. Through subsequent projects, the USAID will continue to support effective protection of wildlife and strive to strengthen co-operation between the two countries in terms of wildlife crime prevention and control.