On September 28, 2022, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) - Viet Nam Program collaborated with Ho Chi Minh City University of Law (HCMULAW) and Viet Nam Maritime University (VMU) organized a technical briefing on preventing risks of illegal wildlife trade by sea route from Africa to Viet Nam. The briefing is implemented within the framework of the project "Building cooperation to combat wildlife trafficking between Africa and Asia'' funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), United States Department of State.
More than 50 participants attended the workshop, Vung Tau, September 2022
More than 50 participants attended the workshop, who are representatives of law enforcement agencies, judicial agencies and port authorities including such as the Environmental Police Department - the Ministry of Public Security, the General Department of Customs of Viet Nam, Ho Chi Minh City Customs, Ba Ria - Vung Tau provincial Customs, Viet Nam Maritime Administration, Vung Tau Maritime Port Authority, Ho Chi Minh City Maritime Port Authority, Hai Phong Maritime Port Authority, Quang Ninh Maritime Port Authority, Ho Chi Minh City People's Procuracy; representatives of the private sector such as Saigon Port Joint Stock Company, Hai Phong Port Joint Stock Company, Viet Nam Shipping Joint Stock Company (Vosco); and representatives of training institutions and research institutes such as the Center for International Maritime and Maritime Law, Ha Noi Procuratorate University, University of Law - Hue University, Maritime Institute - Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport, Viet Nam Customs School, Police Science Institute - People's Police Academy, HCMULAW, VMU; and WCS - Viet Nam Program.
The chairmans coordinated the workshop, Vung Tau, September 2022
According to the data collected by WCS Viet Nam from open sources, from 2015 to August 2022, there have been 34 seizures in Viet Nam, and 8 seizures in other countries but destined to Viet Nam of illegal wildlife trade via sea routes from African countries, especially those in Central African region, to Viet Nam,. The sea route has been heavily exploited by transnational wildlife trafficking syndicates to transport large quantities of wildlife products with sophisticated methods of concealing goods in containers. The briefing provided participants with an overview assessment on the international and Vietnamese legal framework on preventing and combating illegal wildlife trade by sea route, the role of shipping companies and seaport management authorities, and the coordination of law enforcement agencies including customs, police, border guards and coast guards in detecting and handling illegal wildlife trade and transportation by sea route in Viet Nam
In addition, at the event, the delegates also shared and discussed measures to enhance national cooperation between central and provincial custom agencies, port authorities, shipping companies, and relevant law enforcement agencies, as well as international cooperation between Viet Nam’s government agencies and their counterparts in Central Africa in monitoring, detecting and handling wildlife trafficking from Central African countries to Viet Nam via seaports.