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Vietnam Bans Wildlife Trade To Protect Against Future Pandemics

by Alix Coe | July 27, 2020

Vietnam has joined the global crackdown on the wildlife trade to help reduce the risk of future pandemics.

The Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc made changes to the law last week to ban wild animal imports, and to close illegal animal markets in the country.

In February of this year, 14 animal protection organizations — including Humane Society International/Vietnam — contacted the Prime Minister to urge him to take action.

“End Wildlife Exploitation”

“Vietnam’s directive clearly shows the government’s commitment to eradicating illegal wildlife trade and consumption,” said Phuong Tham, director of HSI/Vietnam, in an email to Raise Vegan.

“The directive bans wildlife imports with certain exemptions, and urges the closure of illegal wildlife markets. It also discourages all citizens from illegally hunting, catching, buying, selling, transporting, slaughtering, consuming, storing and advertising wildlife,” she added.

“These measures combined with strict management of wildlife farming are extremely welcome news in the global efforts to end wildlife exploitation and the grave risks for conservation, animal welfare and human health it poses.”

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• REPORT STATES ANIMAL FARMING IS THE “SINGLE MOST RISKY HUMAN BEHAVIOUR”
• CAMBODIA MOVES TO BAN DOG MEAT WITH SIEM REAP FIRST TO OUTLAW THE TRADE

Wildlife Trade In Vietnam

In another letter sent to the Prime Minister in April, HSI/Vietnam presented a science-based white paper to highlight how the trade of wild animals is a threat to human health.

The paper explained that mammal and bird species carry the most risk when it comes the spread of coronaviruses.

“A Big Problem In Vietnam”

“The existence of wildlife markets in many locations has been a big problem in Vietnam for a long time,” said Tham in an email to Raise Vegan, “with many Vietnamese people consuming endangered species such as cobra, turtle and pangolin, as well as all manner of monkeys, birds and other unprotected species.

“Vietnam’s rapacious appetite for wildlife is endangering not just these species’ survival, but as we have seen with the coronavirus outbreak, it is endangering people’s lives too, so this ban can’t come soon enough.”

Do you think other countries will join the fight against the wild animal trade? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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