Forest protection officers rescued 731 wild animals and confiscated more than 900 kilograms of bush meat during a two-year program aimed at reducing the illegal wildlife trade in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.
The project, which ran between February 2009 and June 2011, was launched by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Vietnam and global wildlife trade mornitoring network TRAFFIC.
During the two year period, 88 cases of illegal wildlife trafficking were busted and around $9,000 in fines were levied against the traders.
“The goal [of the project] was to disrupt the illegal wildlife trade chain along key supply and distribution routes in the province,” said Sulma Warne, co-ordinator for the TRAFFIC Greater Mekong Program.
“The pilot approach was particularly effective as trade in this province is restricted to one major wildlife trade route known as the Hai Van pass, creating what is referred to as a trade “bottleneck” where enforcement efforts were targeted,” added Warne.
According to WWF, wild animals are often taken from neighbouring Laos and other countries in the region and funnelled through Hue to be sold as exotic meats, medicines, pets or trophies to wealthy Vietnamese in major urban centres.
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