Tracking the Trade: Vietnam's Illegal Wildlife Business

This study provides data on the logistics, scope and economics of the illegal trade in wildlife in Vietnam. It analyses the main reasons for the rapid growth in this trade and highlights key failures in the country's attempts to control it. The study recommends that the government should strengthen the capacity of the agencies responsible for fighting the trade and raise their budgets. It also highlights the need to use education to encourage Vietnamese people to stop consuming illegal wildlife products. The study concludes that, given the scale of the problem, a high level of commitment at all levels of government will be needed to significantly affect the illegal wildlife trade in Vietnam. Trade in illegal wildlife products is a major factor driving the destruction of many of the world's most endangered species. This problem is particularly acute in Southeast Asia - home to many of the hunted animals and plants and the market for many of the contraband products. This study from Vietnam has added valuable new information to the fight to stamp out this illegal trade. It throws light on the causes, scale and logistics of the trade in the region and highlights key failures in Vietnam's attempts to control the trade. It also outlines a series of policies that could go some way to resolving this catastrophic problem.