The Environment Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is looking to crack down on the import of exotic or alien species to
Under the plan drafted by the department on control of invasive species, non-native flora and fauna would have to undergo checks to ensure they are not harmful to native organisms, said Hoang Thi Thanh Nhan, head of the department's Genetic Preservation Division.
The Environment Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is looking to crack down on the import of exotic or alien species to
Under the plan drafted by the department on control of invasive species, non-native flora and fauna would have to undergo checks to ensure they are not harmful to native organisms, said Hoang Thi Thanh Nhan, head of the department's Genetic Preservation Division.
The move follows a boom in the import of foreign species such as red-ear turtles and red swamp shrimp that have harmed local ecosystems.
Last March, a firm in southern Can Tho City legally imported 24,000 red-eared turtles from
By early October, the reptiles had been processed and frozen for human consumption domestically because the company was unable to re-export the animals and did not want to waste money.
Nhan said
Invasive alien species are plants, animals, pathogens and other organisms that are non-native to an ecosystem, and which may cause economic or environmental harm or adversely affect human health. In particular, they impact negatively on the native biodiversity through competition, predation or transmission of pathogens. Invasive alien species, introduced and/or spread outside their natural habitats, have affected native biodiversity in almost every ecosystem type on earth and are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. (Source: The Convention on Biological Diversity). |
The department said it wanted to collect data on alien species in
Those who raise alien species would have to register the fact with relevant authorities such as the ministries of Natural Resources and Environment, and Agriculture and Rural Development.
They would also have to ensure the species were properly controlled and that they could not spread to the surrounding environment, said Le Thanh Binh, head of the Biodiversity Preservation Department.
"The programme focuses on preventive activities because
Duong Minh Tu, from the Plant Protection Department, said there were not sufficient legal documents in place to properly control the introduction of non-indigenous plants and animals and little understanding of the harmful effects of introducing alien species on local ecosytems.
Chu Tien Vinh, the General Fisheries Office deputy head, said a list of banned invasive species should be compiled.
"People import foreign species for commercial purposes or just as exotic pets. Guidelines should be issued to help customs officials crack down on illegal imports," Vinh said.
Among invasive alien species that have been introduced to