Directive No. 359/TTg On urgent measures to protect and develop wild animal species

DIRECTIVE

ON URGENT MEASURES TO PROTECT AND DEVELOP WILD ANIMAL SPECIES

Wild animals are invaluable natural resources that play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and ensuring a clean living environment for humans. Therefore, every country, every nation, and every citizen must have the responsibility to protect wild animals and create a living environment that allows these species to be preserved and developed.

However, in our country, the current situation is becoming increasingly serious, with many rare and endangered wild animal species being hunted, traded, and exported illegally, even served as specialty dishes at restaurants and hotels to cater to wasteful consumption habits of some people. The ease of consumption and high income have created very harmful jobs and stimulated some people to hunt and trade these items illegally, disregarding state regulations on the management, protection, and development of wild animals and rare species.

The arbitrary hunting of forest birds and animals, along with the destruction of forests through burning, has severely damaged the living environment of many wild animal species, making some species more aggressive and causing disasters for humans such as dangerous elephants and wild boars destroying production; rats and locusts destroying crops in many places, etc. In light of this serious situation, public opinion, mass media, scientists, and others have repeatedly spoken out, demanding effective measures to protect and develop wild animals.

To protect national resources, biodiversity, and the ecological environment, gradually restore order in the protection and development of wild animals, especially rare species, the Prime Minister instructs relevant ministries and levels to focus on implementing the following urgent measures:

1. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall coordinate with relevant sectors and levels to strictly direct inspections, controls, and prevention of illegal hunting of rare and endangered wild animals, including ornamental birds caught from nature, particularly those at risk of extinction; Inspect and prevent illegal trading, transportation, exportation, and storage of rare and endangered wild animals at domestic markets, border markets, traffic routes, ports, airports, and other gathering points.

The General Department of Customs shall be responsible for coordinating with relevant forces to inspect, monitor, and prevent the illegal export of wild animals and products derived from them.

All organizations and individuals who violate the law shall be dealt with strictly, from administrative penalties to criminal prosecution.

2. For wild animals and rare species seized during inspections, they must be released back into their natural habitats. Before release, a thorough health check, disease screening, and ecological characteristics assessment must be conducted to ensure the survival and development of the animals.

In cases where it is necessary to breed and propagate these animals in state facilities or designated parks as specified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall cooperate with the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment, scientific agencies, and the Ministry of Finance to study and pilot the establishment of rescue centers for the care and monitoring of wild animals before releasing them back into the forest.

3. The Ministry of Home Affairs shall lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to urgently direct relevant sectors and levels to inspect and confiscate military firearms, air rifles, and other hunting and trapping equipment used for wild animals. Strictly prohibit the manufacture and use of such equipment contrary to existing regulations.

4. Strictly prohibit restaurants and hotels from operating with specialty dishes made from wild animals and rare species hunted from nature, except in cases stipulated in Point 5 of this Directive.

5. Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall be responsible for reviewing and considering re-registration for those who have been granted permits to operate specialty goods made from wild animals and rare species. Reissuing business permits must comply with the following requirements:

They must register the types of goods operated and clearly display signs advertising specialty dishes made from wild animals for easy inspection and control.

Stores must organize breeding of wild animals and rare species themselves to serve the operation of specialty goods and must comply with Decree 18/HĐBT dated January 17, 1992, and current regulations.

They must specify the breeding location and source of the animals supplied to the specialty restaurant.

They must commit not to purchase wild animals and rare species hunted from nature for business purposes.

6. Encourage organizations and individuals to breed and develop wild animal species, including rare ones, for business and export purposes, and must comply with the provisions of Decree 18/HĐBT dated January 17, 1992, and current regulations, in accordance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Fisheries, and related sectors to draft and submit to the Prime Minister in the third quarter of 1996 proposals to adjust and supplement the list and management system for rare species mentioned in Decree 18/HĐBT dated January 17, 1992. At the same time, mechanisms for management in breeding, developing, and trading rare wild animals must be established to meet the demands of life.

7. The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment shall cooperate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Fisheries to strengthen the management of existing nature reserves, intensify research work to identify species and ecological characteristics of wild animals, especially rare ones, to establish a separate list of rare species in Vietnam and supplement it to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

8. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Justice and relevant sectors to review current government regulatory documents and guidance documents issued by ministries, sectors, provinces, and centrally governed cities to submit to the Government for adjustment and supplementation to align with new requirements and actual circumstances, and promptly develop regulations and charters on management, protection, exploitation, and reasonable use of wild animal resources that are rare and precious.

9. Mass media agencies must regularly promote and educate public awareness and responsibility for protecting and using wild animals that are rare and precious reasonably so that the entire population is aware and can implement them. The Ministry of Education and Training needs to study and incorporate into the general education curriculum the civic responsibilities in protecting rare and precious wild animals.

The Ministers of Ministries, Heads of ministerial-level agencies and agencies under the Government, and Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities are responsible for strictly implementing this Directive.