Vietnam-South Africa cooperate in biodiversity conservation

On December 10, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held a press conference to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Government of the Republic of South Africa on cooperation in Conservation and Protection of Biodiversity.

The Memorandum of Understanding is based on the cooperative relationship between the two countries and the objectives and principles of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), of which the two countries are members.

The Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and the South African Minister of Environment and Water Resources signed a memorandum of understanding. (Photo: Dinh Hue/VNA).

The objective of the Memorandum of Understanding is to enhance cooperation between Vietnam and South Africa in the field of biodiversity management, conservation and protection, law enforcement and compliance with CITES and other relevant legal documents and Conventions.

The implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the Ministry of Water Resources and Environment of South Africa, with the support of law enforcement agencies of the two countries, the participation of international organizations, non-governmental organizations and media agencies.

Immediately after signing the Memorandum of Understanding, the South African and Vietnamese delegations developed a specific action plan to implement the commitments of the two governments, focusing on strengthening cooperation in preventing the smuggling of rhino specimens and enforcing CITES regulations, while discussing promoting cooperation and sharing experiences in the management of nature reserves.

At the press conference, Ms. Edna Molewa, Minister of Water Resources and Environment of South Africa, said that South African authorities are looking forward to receiving cooperation from Vietnamese partners to soon prevent illegal rhino horn trafficking and affirmed that South Africa has also made many efforts in preserving and protecting biodiversity.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat affirmed that Vietnam has strictly implemented international conventions related to biodiversity protection. The Ministry has directed functional units to coordinate to strengthen inspection and control to prevent illegal trade and transportation of rhino horn specimens and species listed in CITES Appendices through land, air and sea border gates, especially for shipments from Africa.

Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is coordinating with relevant ministries and branches to submit to the Prime Minister a Decision to ban the import of all rhino specimens into Vietnam in 2012. Since 2004, authorities have arrested and handled 12 cases of illegal transportation of rhino horns from Africa.

According to statistics, in 2011, 448 white rhinos were illegally hunted in South Africa. Due to concerns about the increasing poaching situation, since February 2012, the South African Government has banned Vietnamese people from legally hunting for sport in South Africa, but as of November 27, 2012, the number of rhinos illegally killed has reached 588. It is predicted that by the end of 2012, more than 600 rhinos will be illegally hunted./.

(According to Vietnam+)-LC