Vietnam – South Africa Seminar on Wildlife Conservation

On September 19, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Water of South Africa held a seminar on biodiversity and wildlife conservation.

Representatives of many Ministries, Departments and conservation scientists also attended.

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Statistics from the Department of Biodiversity Conservation show that from 2000 to June 2013, Vietnamese authorities discovered nearly 18,500 violations of wildlife protection. Currently, 882 species of animals and plants are threatened.

According to a report by the South African Ministry of Environment, rhino poaching in this country has increased by 5000% in the past 5 years, mainly due to the demand for consumption in some Asian countries. In the first 8 months of this year alone, at least 695 rhinos were killed. If this situation is not stopped in time, in just 6 years, rhino species in the world will be extinct.

At this forum, the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the South African Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Water Affairs affirmed that they will strengthen coordination of action programs, prioritize reducing illegal rhino hunting and consumption, and share information related to policies and experiences in biodiversity conservation.

According to VTV online