Vietnam Bans Wild Animal Imports
Vietnam has announced a total ban on wild animal imports and a curb on illegal wildlife markets.
A new directive signed by Vietnam’s prime minister, stops the trade in wild animal species and their products, including eggs, organs and body parts, and takes a tougher stance on the illegal hunting and killing of animals in Vietnam.
Wild Welfare cautiously celebrates this news and hopes the action – a response to the outbreak of Covid-19 – will go some way to preventing wild animals from around the world suffering future poor welfare.
As an organisation with active projects in Vietnam, which work to find solutions to the country’s zoo animal welfare issues, Wild Welfare welcomes this news, along with many other animal welfare organisations. The hope is that this will not just be a temporary measure brought about because of the global Covid-19 pandemic, but a lasting change that can make a real difference to wild animal welfare not just in Vietnam but around the world.
Large numbers of wild animals are traded globally every year, many going to zoos and captive wild animal facilities. From rhinos to lions, from parrots to antelope, many non-native species can be found in Vietnam’s zoos, but these facilities can sometimes lack the specialist species knowledge and resources to properly care for them, leading to poor welfare and suffering.
The trade in wildlife has come under heavy scrutiny since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, a zoonotic disease linked to an animal market in Wuhan, China, and in February this year a joint letter from 14 conservation organisations to the country’s prime minister warned the government that “new viruses will continue to move from wildlife to people while illegal wildlife trade and wildlife consumption continue”.
Wild Welfare will continue working for legislative change in Vietnam to help improve lives for zoo animals and will be watching to see how the effects of this recent announcement can help with that, in a country that has an increasing number of zoos and captive animal facilities and whose wildlife trade, both legal and illegal is reported to be worth billions of dollars.
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Notes to Editors
For more information or interview requests please contact Wild Welfare on communications@wildwelfare.org
Wild Welfare is a global organisation committed to improving animal welfare for captive wild animals. By uniting the world’s leading zoos, zoo associations and animal welfare organisations, we build trusting partnerships that help provide long-term solutions to critical wild animal welfare issues.
Our vision is to end the suffering of captive wild animals around the world and ensure full and sustainable protection is given to all animals in human care. Find out more at www.wildwelfare.org. Registered charity in England (no.1165941).
