Vietnamese people called to reduce wildlife meat demand

The USAID Biodiversity Conservation has launched a wild meat demand reduction campaign urging Vietnamese government agencies and citizens nationwide to enhance their actions for wildlife conservation.

“The Vietnamese new year is a good occasion to reflect on our harmonious coexistence and stewardship for wildlife and nature as an imperative to appreciate and safeguard biodiversity and uphold the nation’s international conservation commitments," said Vu Van Hung, director of the Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation (VFBC) project.

Annie Wallace, director of Office of Climate Change, Energy, and Environment/USAID Vietnam, noted: "USAID stands with the Vietnam government and all citizens in the collective effort to conserve the country’s wildlife and natural habitats. We encourage everyone to be active partners by becoming stewards of nature and wildlife and by helping to reduce demand for the consumption of wildlife".

For generations, the people of Vietnam have been consuming wildlife meat and other products. The persistent demand for these products has led to a severe decline in the populations of wildlife in Vietnam's natural habitats including wild cattle and species of muntjac deer only found in the Central Annamites.

A survey on wild meat consumption conducted by WWF-Vietnam in 2021 reveals that 90% of wild animals hunted illegally end up mainly in urban restaurants and the average consumption per a consumer of wildlife meat is seven times per year.

These crucial findings highlight the urgency of better action plans to reduce wildlife consumption across sectors and at multiple levels. This entails significant investment in increasing public awareness through communication channels to actively curb both the illegal wildlife trade and the consumption of wildlife meat.

Moreover, in the upcoming period, ongoing efforts are essential to strengthen the enforcement of biodiversity conservation laws, with a focus on integrating and implementing biodiversity conservation requirements into the national macro-policy planning process.

"While we work to support the improvement of law enforcement and conservation activities inside Vietnam's forest protected areas, to give wildlife populations a chance to survive and recover from the decades of decline, it’s crucial to stop the illegal consumption of wildlife meat." said Nick Cox, chief of Party, USAID Biodiversity Conservation project, WWF.

The campaign is promoting its messages through social media platforms and public engagement activities across the country.

Miss Universe Vietnam 2017 H’hen Nie and dance talent Quang Dang will take part in the event as campaign messengers in a music video on wildlife protection.