Wildlife protection law enforcement strengthened
A training course on strengthening the enforcement of the law on wildlife protection was held in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong from September 13-16.
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Jointly organised by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the Forest Protection Department Zone 4 and the Vietnam Programme, the three-day course was designed for officers of forest protection departments and border guard forces from seven cities and provinces in the Central Highlands and southeastern regions.
Hoang Bich Thuy, manager of the WCS programme in Vietnam said the course aimed at increasing effectiveness of forest protection activities and intensifying international cooperation between border provinces and neighbouring countries, including Cambodia and Laos, in preventing and combating wildlife-related crimes.
Nguyen Dinh Thang, an official from the Forest Protection Department Zone 4, revealed that since 2010, forest rangers nationwide detected and handled over 4,300 cases violating regulations on wildlife management, and confiscated thousands of kilograms of wildlife products and 60,217 wild animals, including 3,418 listed as endangered and rare species.
Central Highlands provinces are considered as the crime hotspots with numerous endangered species and wildlife products being smuggled through their borders with Cambodia and Laos, he added.
He also stressed the importance of intersectoral coordination in preventing and fighting crimes related to wild animals.
