Education for Nature Vietnam

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Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) was set up in 2000 and according to their website is Vietnam's "first local non-governmental organization to focus on wildlife protection."

Contents

They have offices in Hanoi.

There are three main planks to the work of ENV:

Wildlife trade in Vietnam

As well as being a source of endangered wildlife and a consumer of protected animal products, Vietnam is also a major international transit hub for illegal wildlife goods from other countries in South East Asia and as far afield as South Africa. The main destination for much of the illegal wildlife trade is China. [4]

Due to the burgeoning economies of both China and Vietnam in recent years, the expanding middle class, with larger disposable incomes, created a surge in demand for wildlife trade products [5] such as rhino horn and tiger bone paste. [6] [7]

Two species of pangolin, believed to be the most trafficked mammal in the world [8] and native to Vietnamese forests, are particularly under threat. Many thousands are caught and traded between China and Vietnam every year. [9]

Pangolin scales are in demand for use in traditional medicine, and the meat is served in restaurants as a high-end delicacy.

Rhinos, annihilated in Vietnam in 2010, are also threatened with extinction as a result of wildlife trade: in 2007, 13 were killed for their horns. By 2014, 1215 rhinos were poached and killed in South Africa.[ citation needed ]

Approach

ENV aims to reduce illegal wildlife trade in three ways by:

Reducing demand

ENV strives to curb demand for wildlife products in Vietnam via Public Service Announcements (PSAs) on TV and radio. They concentrate their efforts on tigers, rhinos, bears and pangolins. [10] The emphasis of these short infomercials is that wildlife trade products, such as pangolin scales, rhino horn and tiger bones, lack medicinal value. A recent 2016 campaign, for instance, pointed out that rhino horn is made of keratin, the same substance as human hair and nails. One would, therefore, be as well eating one's own finger nails and hair.

It is well documented that there is now a growing social stigma attached to the use of wildlife products as vulgar status symbols. Money does not buy taste or a social conscience it would appear. But just as important is the fact that being a consumer of illegal wildlife products helps to line the pockets of organized crime and encourages cruelty to animals. [11]

The PSAs are aired across Vietnam on up to 80 TV channels, reaching millions of viewers. ENV also produce radio adverts that are regularly broadcast on Voice of Vietnam radio. Since 2008, ENV has partnered with Voice of Vietnam to produce a radio show about wildlife protection topics every month. ENV also works with well-known Vietnamese celebrities to spread the wildlife protection message to their fans and the general public. [12] [13] [14]

Further efforts to cut consumer demand have included the establishment of Wildlife Safety Zones in conjunction with ministries, government offices, corporate partners and markets across Vietnam. [15] Among the partners signed up are the US Embassy, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and the Daewoo Hotel. [16]

Outreach events are also run at universities, parks and shopping malls to promote public awareness and involvement in their campaigns. [17]

For example, ENV, in partnership with the South African organization Endangered Wildlife Trust, launched a targeted campaign to convince shoppers to ‘Say no to rhino horn’ through awareness events and viral media activities. [18]

Strengthening enforcement

In addition to reducing demand, ENV are heavily involved in ensuring law enforcement agencies prosecute wildlife crime offenders to the full extent of the law. In recent years there has been a perception that the authorities are not taking wildlife crime as seriously as they should and are reluctant to prosecute anyone other than low level players involved in wildlife trafficking.

In 2005 ENV established a Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) to encourage the Vietnamese public to report wildlife offences. The WCU operates the Wildlife Crime Hotline 1-800-1522, a national toll-free hotline that the public can use to report wildlife crimes throughout the country. [19] Crimes can also be reported via an email hotline and a smart phone application. [20] [21]

Since its establishment, ENV's national crime database has recorded over 10,000 reports of wildlife crimes. [22]

Getting the public involved is a major concern for ENV. It has established wildlife protection volunteer clubs in over 15 major cities across Vietnam. [23] These clubs carry out awareness events, monitor businesses and report wildlife crimes. They also have promoted greater public involvement in wildlife protection.

Since 2013 ENV has cracked down on consumer demand by targeting major cities including Hanoi, Huế, Dong Ha, Ho Chi Mi, Vinh and Da Nang. Their campaign involves surveying restaurants, hotels, bars, traditional medicine shops, pet shops and markets across selected districts. Any violations discovered are reported to the district People's Committee, along with a request that they work with local authorities to tackle each violation.

Two months later, a follow-up team from ENV inspects the establishments that had previously been reported and tracks any changes. Report cards are then sent to the People's Committees, summarizing their effectiveness compared to colleagues in different districts. In areas where the process has been completed, wildlife crime has fallen by between 39% and 77%. [24]

ENV also tackles illegal online wildlife trade through its internet crime campaign. Thousands of links reported as selling wildlife have been removed, and numerous websites and forums have joined ENV's wildlife safety zone by banning all wildlife advertising. [25]

Accompanying this outreach, the wildlife protection organization undertakes wildlife crime investigations. Current investigations focus on crime syndicates that support the illegal transnational trade of endangered species, such as a major criminal network that smuggled frozen tigers from Laos into Vietnam. [26] An investigation into the marine turtle trade in Vietnam resulted in a seizure of 10 tons of marine turtles, and an ongoing criminal investigation by the police. ENV produced a film about the case, and sent it to hundreds of legislators to encourage them to prosecute the kingpin of the marine turtle trade. [27] [28] [29]

In May 2020, ENV and Four Paws rescued a bear cub from illegal wildlife trade and brought to Bear Sanctuary Ninh Binh. [30]

Improving policy and legislation

The third leg of the ENV strategy stool is to work with the highest levels of government to bring about change on a national level by improving legislation and ensuring sound policy in support of wildlife protection. Ultimately their goal is a legal framework in Vietnam that effectively protects endangered species. But much of their day-to-day work revolves around helping to address conflicts and loopholes in existing legislation. .

Among ENV's most notable cases recently include:

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vietnam Coast Guard</span> Vietnamese Armed Forces maritime law enforcement component

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References

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  3. ↑ Nijman, Vincent (2009-12-23). "An overview of international wildlife trade from Southeast Asia". Biodiversity and Conservation. 19 (4): 1101–1114. doi: 10.1007/s10531-009-9758-4 . ISSN   0960-3115.
  4. ↑ Nuwer, Rachel (March 30, 2015). "In Vietnam, Rampant Wildlife Smuggling Prompts Little Concern". The New York Times . Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  5. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-05-01. Retrieved 2015-07-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ↑ Ted Williams. "A Public Relations Drive to Stop Illegal Rhino Horn Trade by Mike Ives: Yale Environment 360". E360.yale.edu. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  7. ↑ Marianne Brown (2014-02-22). "New TV Campaign Aims to Save Vietnam's Wild Tigers". Voanews.com. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  8. ↑ "The most trafficked mammal you've never heard of - CNN.com". Edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  9. ↑ "8 Pangolin Species - PROJECT PANGOLIN". Pangolins.org. 2015-02-21. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
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  11. ↑ "Pangolin PSA to air in Vietnam because of CNN reader donations - CNN.com". Edition.cnn.com. 2014-04-09. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  12. ↑ "'Horrific' record 1,020 rhino killed in South Africa". AFP. 2014-11-20. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  13. ↑ "Vietnam diva in South Africa to help protect rhinos". Tuoitrenews.vn. 2014-09-15. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
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  23. ↑ "Projects - Lucky Penny - Vietnam". RhiNOremedy. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  24. ↑ "Asia's Regional Response to Endangered Species Trafficking Program Surveys Document Decline in Wildlife Crime in Vietnam | LOWER MEKONG INITIATIVE". Lowermekong.org. 2015-03-27. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  25. ↑ Hendrie, Douglas. (2014). On the Vietnamese Front Line. (Journal unknown.) http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/pdf_files/140/1406680976.pdf
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  29. ↑ "Freeland".
  30. ↑ Bear cub rescued from illegal wildlife trade in Vietnam, retrieved on 31. May 2020 in Vietnamtimes.org.vn
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  39. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-07-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  40. 1 2 "Wildlife Trade Disaster Averted in Vietnam". Annamiticus. 2013-11-21. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  41. ↑ Emma Bryce (2015-02-20). "Critically endangered pangolins rescued, then sold as food | Environment". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  42. ↑ "42 pangolins rescued…then sold to restaurants | Mongabay Environmental News". News.mongabay.com. 2015-02-17. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
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