Saving Threatened Wildlife in Viet Nam

A tiger in profile snarling with cage walls in background

Overview

Viet Nam is a country that is rich in biodiversity and natural resources, but it is also considered to be a global hub for illegal wildlife trade, acting as a destination, transit, and source country. As Viet Nam has developed and grown its economy over time, there has been a noticeable rise in the trafficking of high-value wildlife products. This surge in illegal activity is driven by international crime syndicates who perceive wildlife trafficking as a lucrative venture with relatively low risks. Poaching and smuggling for the illegal wildlife trade is increasingly linked with armed violence, corruption, and other forms of organized crime. Although authorities have made large confiscations, and Viet Nam’s updated penal code now punishes wildlife trafficking severely, the illegal wildlife trade continues unabated.

In response to this threat, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Viet Nam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development are working together to control and stop wildlife trafficking by enhancing commitments from Viet Nam's government leaders at the national and provincial levels, strengthening law enforcement, and reducing demand and consumption of illegal wildlife products. USAID launched the $15 million Saving Threatened Wildlife project in 2021 with the aim of strengthening Viet Nam’s leadership in tackling wildlife trafficking. Saving Threatened Wildlife is a 5-year project supported by USAID, in cooperation with the Management Board for Forestry Projects, and implemented by WWF and conservation organization partners, TRAFFIC and Education for Nature-Vietnam

Over the last decade, Viet Nam has made concerted efforts and issued new legislation and policies to counter wildlife trafficking. The 2015 penal code (revised in 2017) covers offenses involving harm to wild animals and specifies appropriate punishments for criminal violations involving endangered and rare animals. In response to the human health and wildlife-related disease risk challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Viet Nam issued a Directive in 2020, with urgent measures to manage wildlife trade and requested relevant agencies to strictly monitor and control illegal wildlife consumption.

Although there are some legal frameworks on wildlife conservation and protection that have helped improve addressing wildlife crimes, the threat of trafficking and illegal wildlife consumption still remains. The challenges to overcome are related to law enforcement prioritization, capacity and resources, the continuing high consumer demand for wildlife products, and the ever-evolving tactics of criminal groups to bypass controls and protect their interests using corrupt influence, encrypted online communications and trade, and illicit financial flows.

Former MARD Minister H.E Le Minh Hoan provides his support to conserving biodiversity and saving threatened wildlife.

Our Work and Impact

The Saving Threatened Wildlife project focuses on species and their products in trade and consumption that are particularly at risk from international trafficking, such as African rhinos, African and Asian elephants, tigers and other big cats, pangolins, and freshwater turtles and tortoises. All of these species are in demand for domestic consumption, but there is also a major re-export of rhino horn products and pangolin scales to neighboring countries, and sales of ivory and rhino horn (mainly carvings) to visiting tourists.

Project activities focus at the national and provincial levels, particularly in areas considered hotspots for wildlife trafficking, due to the proximity to porous international borders, the presence of wildlife markets, and urban locations with high consumer demand.

The Project overall is aiming to:

  1. Engage and develop anti-wildlife trafficking leadership in the public sector, private sector, and civil society.
  2. Build capacities and provide technical resources to support law enforcement in countering wildlife trafficking.
  3. Reduce consumer demand for illegal wildlife products through social behavior change practices and advocacy.

Building leadership to counter wildlife trafficking

Engaging and informing national and local political leadership has helped to build political will and generated support and high-level awareness for countering wildlife trafficking, resulting in new responses and policies. Partnership with priority business sectors has also elevated their understanding of the issue and how their sectors can address illegal wildlife trade risks. Reviews of the legal, financial, and reputational risks to business models are generating support for countering wildlife trafficking through changing business practices and adding mechanisms to detect and deter illegal wildlife trade. Civil society organizations, the national media, and broader national stakeholders are also key to addressing social awareness and demand. The Project has strengthened grassroots organizations’ capacity to lead change in countering wildlife trafficking, demonstrating leadership in countering wildlife trafficking through policy advocacy, outreach, and reporting mechanisms. A total of 28 political and influential leaders and 39 organizations have taken practical actions to combat wildlife trafficking.

Man writes on whiteboard

Members of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry show their commitment to end wildlife trafficking.

With joint support from the Saving Threatened Wildlife project and USAID Biodiversity Conservation Activity implemented by WWF and its partners, the Viet Nam Government issued Resolution 29/NQ-CP in March 2024, reaffirming the government’s commitment to combat the cross-border illegal wildlife trade and abide by international treaties such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). These policies provide a significant foundation to guide future Ministry decisions on the protection of wildlife, in a country that is so reliant on government direction and policies to drive action.

The Project has partnered with the Viet Nam E-commerce Association to engage, increase awareness of technology and e-commerce businesses on how online platforms are using advertising and selling illegal wildlife products, and encourage the adoption and use of an online training program in Vietnamese via the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online’s website.

The Saving Threatened Wildlife project is supporting the Viet Nam Government’s Forest Protection Department and CITES Scientific Authority to inspect captive tiger facilities, collecting tiger DNA samples and developing a database of unique tiger profiles of DNA and stripe patterns. The analytical and transparency systems generate information and evidence to strengthen the government's ability to monitor captive tigers and reduce opportunities for laundering of tigers through captive facilities to feed the trade demand for medicinal, restaurant, and fashion uses. Important discussions and reflections catalyzed by the Saving Threatened Wildlife project on the future of captive tigers in the country have identified the need to improve and apply criteria that justify the “conservation and educational value” of captive tiger facilities and to ensure compliance with CITES. The Saving Threatened Wildlife project has also provided strong recommendations to prevent private ownership of tigers that cannot meet these strict requirements.

Supporting law enforcement to counter wildlife trafficking

Law enforcement staff and agencies are the key players in actions to counter wildlife trafficking. The project focuses on providing resources and incentivizing justice for enforcement agencies to identify illegal wildlife trade cases by enhancing inter-agency coordination and developing and supporting revisions to regulatory frameworks for wildlife trade and zoonotic disease control.

The implementation and effectiveness of law enforcement can be influenced by a number of factors including knowledge and interpretation of the law, a lack of clarity or duplication of agency mandates, and a loss of capacity due to the movement of trained personnel. To identify interventions needed, and provide recommendations, the project has conducted a number of assessments to identify the challenges and barriers to effective enforcement and the gaps or conflicts within existing policies related to wildlife crime.

To support enforcement action, the project has collaborated with agencies including CITES, the Forest Protection Department, Market Surveillance Department, and the judiciary to deliver training on the illegal wildlife trade and relevant legal instruments. The project convened a customs training workshop on wildlife trafficking in February 2023 to share information and lessons learned, and to discuss tools and technology that are used to combat wildlife trafficking through improved detection and interception at maritime ports. Specific information was provided on high-risk shipments including from Angola. Three weeks after the workshop, three containers were inspected at Hai Phong port, and approximately 7 tons of ivory was found originating from Angola.

To strengthen the prosecution of wildlife crime cases, the project has held “prosecution” trainings and mock trials for over 70 local judicial and law enforcement personnel on how to handle wildlife crime cases. Trainings focus on wildlife law, species identification, and techniques for monitoring and combatting illegal wildlife trade. Overall, these trainings have provided participants with practical insights into what is needed to effectively investigate and prosecute wildlife crime cases.

Reducing consumer demand for illegal wildlife products

Demand for wildlife and their products is a major driver of illegal wildlife trade. The Saving Threatened Wildlife project targets domestic audiences to reduce illegal wildlife product demand, largely driven by traditional medicine practices, social status desire, gifts, food, and pets. The project has conducted campaigns to raise awareness among targeted domestic audiences as well as international tourists visiting Viet Nam to reduce incoming consumer demand for illegal wildlife products. Sometimes the tourists will purchase illegal wildlife while visiting Viet Nam and then mail their purchases home as they are less likely to be detected than in luggage. 

White beads and other items on table

Elephant ivory products at a souvenir shop in Ha Long, Quang Ninh, Viet Nam.

To target this smuggling method, the project has created wildlife-related posters, envelopes, and stamps that were shared in over 33 postal offices, across over 100 postal vans and online channels, reaching many different individuals. Visuals and messaging have also been displayed on tourist buses and at car and bus stations across many provinces in the country, with drivers themselves even wearing message-bearing hats.

The Saving Threatened Wildlife project has also focused on engaging traditional medicine practitioners and users on avoiding the use of illegal products derived from threatened and endangered species. 48,000 practitioners, students, patients, and individuals have been exposed to behavior change messages, and 730 targeted people have received training, with 100% of trainees pledging not to prescribe and use illegal wildlife products. Traditional medicine practitioners, one association, and one pharmaceutical company have even started sharing project messaging on their online platforms, reaching over 17,000 people.

Over 15,000 targeted individuals, including government leaders, officers, traditional medicine practitioners and patients, and tourists have been exposed to the project’s visuals, messaging, and calls to action. The project has also conducted surveys in high-traffic areas in major cities, finding that 57% of people expressed intention to recommend that others avoid illegal wildlife products after seeing messaging and visuals from the Saving Threatened Wildlife campaigns.

The Goal A vision of Viet Nam as a wildlife haven, not a trafficking hotspot

A group of people stand in front of a USAID sign

USAID’s Office of Climate Change, Energy and Environment Director discussing the management of captive tigers and darting process with partners WWF and Four Paws.

Viet Nam has long been viewed as one of the most significant hotspots for the illegal trade of wildlife, but there has been a major shift to change this over the past few years, thanks to the commitment of the Vietnamese government and partners across the public and private sectors to tackle wildlife trafficking. Addressing this issue and ensuring long-lasting impact requires an approach that is multi-faceted, underpinned by strong, sustained commitments and actions. Despite the continued, growing interest of crime groups to poach and traffic in wildlife, such a future is now even more possible and achievable in Viet Nam. The government has been making stronger strides and greater investments in biodiversity conservation, with technical and financial support via the US government.

Wildlife crime robs nature of natural wonders. It is the largest direct threat to the future of many of the world’s threatened wildlife species. And even once the Saving Threatened Wildlife project comes to a close, all the right elements will need to be in place and more work will still need to be done in order to protect Viet Nam’s biodiversity.

Donor

USAID

Government of Viet Nam Project Partners

MARD MBFP

 

Project Partners

World Wide Fund for Nature Viet Nam (WWF-Viet Nam) TRAFFIC logo Education for Nature Viet Nam (ENV)

Contact

Michelle Owen
Chief of Party
USAID Saving Threatened Wildlife
WWF, Hanoi, Viet Nam

Crawford Allan
Vice President, Nature Crimes and Policy Advocacy, Wildlife Conservation
WWF, Washington DC, USA

WWF would like to acknowledge the larger support for the Saving Threatened Wildlife project from the many partners who have contributed to this effort:

  • Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists
  • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
  • Center for Rural Development in Central Vietnam
  • Vietnam General Customs Department
  • Dak Lak Fatherland Front
  • Four Paws
  • Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources
  • National Institute of Medicinal Materials
  • Quang Ninh Provincial Department of Tourism
  • Supreme People’s Court
  • Supreme People’s Procuracy
  • Save Vietnam’s Wildlife
  • United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
  • Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper
  • Vietnam Automobile and Transport Association
  • Vietnam Central Buddhist Association
  • Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ho Chi Minh branch
  • Vietnam E-commerce Association
  • State Bank of Vietnam
  • Vietnam Banking Association
  • Vietnam Oriental Traditional Medicine Association

This content is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.