Tell Vietnam's Congress: Ban wildlife consumption and trade, lead to no Covid19 in the future

PETITION LETTER

Regarding: The prohibition of the illegal wildlife trade and eliminating the unacceptable use of wildlife products to effectively ensure the health and lives of the public.

Dear: The Standing Committee of the National Assembly of Vietnam

Presently, the trade of a range of wildlife species remains very popular and occurs through sophisticated networks in Vietnam. This has a direct impact on the decline of species populations in the wild and the extinction of many nationally and globally threatened species, as well as causing tremendous loss to the national economy, public health and the country's image, due to the increasing demand for wildlife in Vietnam. The damaging habit of eating and using wild animals has affected the image of the Vietnamese people and culture. The illegal trade, transport and consumption of wild animals also has the potential to cause serious disease outbreaks to humans such as SARS, H5N1 or the recently emerged COVID-19, directly threatening public lives and health and the country's economic development.

Since December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has been causing social fear, great health challenges and economic loss. In response to this, the China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress adopted a Decision to eliminate the consumption for food of wild animals to safeguard people's lives and health and notified that timely Decision to 183 member countries of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The Government Office of Vietnam has issued an official letter No. 1744 / VPCP-KGVX dated

March 06th 2020 requesting the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to draft a Prime Minister's Directive on prohibiting trade and consumption of wildlife and submit to Prime Minister before April 1st 2020. This has shown the urgency of having specific regulations banning the trade and use of wildlife, which can prevent the detrimental effect of COVID-19 pandemic to people lives. However, more timely and decisive action is needed to stop wildlife trade.

Dear The Standing Committee of the National Assembly of Vietnam!
To ensure the public lives, health and economic growth of the country, as well as eliminate the damaging habit of using wildlife, we propose the Standing Committee of the National Assembly and the National Assembly of Vietnam issues and adopts a Decision including the following:

 The consumption, trade, poaching, transportation, keeping or slaughter of terrestrial wildlife as food and pets be strictly prohibited.
 The use of endangered species for the purpose of traditional medicine be prohibited.
 The captive breeding of endangered wildlife species for commercial purposes be prohibited, and that the development of a list of other common species for commercial farm must be based on appropriate and adequate assessments of scientific departments.
 The auctioning of live or dead animals and their body parts that are confiscated from the illegal trade be prohibited.
 Where there is a need to utilize wildlife for special purposes other than consumption as food, such as scientific research, medicine and display, this shall be subject to strict supervision and approval, quarantine and inspection in accordance with relevant national regulations.
 That endangered wildlife in all captive facilities must be microchipped for identification
 The Prime Minister instructs all Ministries, People's committee and relevant departments to strictly implement the above provisions. Any behavior that is in contravention of the provision above shall be severely punished, building upon the provisions in the current law.
 Wildlife protection laws should be reviewed and updated to ensure the implementation of the above provisions and to improve efforts in combating and managing the wildlife trade, transportation and breeding farms in Vietnam.

Adopting a Decision to eliminate the wildlife consumption and trade not only helps reduce the risk of further zoonotic diseases and social threats, but also demonstrates that Vietnam has acted in a decisive manner to prohibit the illegal trade and consumption of wildlife and in conserving our biodiversity.
We are hopeful of a positive decision by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly and are willing to support the Vietnamese government to prevent future threats that may emerge.

Best regards.