It is urgent to protect wild bird species.

09:14, 19/10/2023

In order to implement Directive No. 04/CT-TTg dated May 17, 2022, of the Prime Minister on a number of urgent tasks and solutions to conserve wild and migratory birds in Vietnam, especially during the annual bird migration season, and in response to the International Day of Migratory Birds (October 14, 2023), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment recently issued a document requesting ministries, sectors, and localities to direct and implement a number of related contents contributing to the conservation of wild and migratory bird species in Vietnam.

Currently, over 900 bird species have been recorded in Vietnam, including 99 species requiring conservation attention, 10 critically endangered, 17 endangered, 24 near-threatened, and 48 threatened. Vietnam is identified as one of the most important areas in the network of migratory bird flight paths and endemic bird species, with 63 globally important bird areas and 7 endemic bird areas.

Migratory bird habitats, such as national parks like Xuan Thuy (Nam Dinh), Tram Chim (Dong Thap), and Mui Ca Mau (Ca Mau), have created important natural values for Vietnam.

Of the 49 endemic bird species in the Indochina region alone, Vietnam has 33; including 10 species that are endemic only to Vietnam.

However, according to specialized agencies, Vietnam has 868 species of birds, of which 109 species require conservation attention, 11 are critically endangered, 19 are endangered, 28 are near threatened, and 50 are threatened.

To date, many wild and migratory bird species have been included in the list of endangered, rare, and precious species prioritized for protection and management according to the law, such as the red-crowned crane, spoonbill stork, and spoonbill sandpiper…

The Prime Minister issued urgent directives on the conservation of wild and migratory birds in Vietnam. ( Illustrative image).

Media outlets should intensify their coverage and broadcasting of messages, reports, and news bulletins to disseminate the Prime Minister's directives and legal documents on the conservation of wild and migratory birds in Vietnam. Officials, civil servants, workers, and citizens should not participate in the illegal hunting, trapping, buying, selling, transporting, slaughtering, consuming, storing, or advertising of wild and migratory birds; nor should they purchase birds for release, as this constitutes aiding and abetting illegal hunting and trapping of wild birds.

Law enforcement agencies such as forest rangers, customs, market management, and police are strengthening inter-agency coordination to regularly inspect restaurants, businesses, wildlife markets, key areas, and ringleaders involved in hunting, trapping, trading, transporting, and consuming wild and migratory birds.

Law enforcement agencies will strictly handle acts of illegal hunting, shooting, trapping, catching, slaughtering, transporting, trading, processing, and storing of wild and migratory birds; and implement measures to prevent diseases originating from wild and migratory birds.

The Hung

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