The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) May 3 held a meeting in Hanoi to discuss the “Wildlife Consumption in Vietnam” (WLC) project to call for more efforts in boosting biodiversity conservation in the country. The WLC project, funded by the Global Environment Fund through the World Bank (WB), aims to reform related policies and reduce the consumption of wild animals in Vietnam. During the meeting, MoNRE Deputy Minister Bui Cach Tuyen said that biodiversity conservation is a long-term process and needs to get all levels of society involved in the process. The three-year project, which will be piloted in Hanoi until 2014, focuses on improving the legal framework and policies, developing a report system on illegal wildlife trade and consumption as well as raising public support and awareness of wildlife and biodiversity protection. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Vietnam earlier voiced concerns over the rising number of wildlife trafficking in Vietnam, saying that up to 108 kinds of Vietnamese native animals have been illegally traded online. Of which, 84% serves ornament, 9% for foods, 2% for decorations and 1% for medicinal purpose. Among the ten countries with the richest biodiversity, Vietnam is home to 10% of all popular species worldwide, whereas its territory accounts for less than 1% of the earth surface. (vov.vn May 4, vietnamplus.vn May 3)
