VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam and Cambodia are discussing closer co-operation to combat illegal, trans-border trading in wildlife at a two-day workshop that is being attended by their respective enforcement authorities.

The workshop that began yesterday, April 27, in the southern border province of Tay Ninh also offers a platform to share experiences, consolidate understanding, and develop plans for improved collaboration and information exchange to curbing the wildlife trade along the Tay Ninh border.

"Illegal wildlife trade is increasingly becoming a regional challenge, requiring countries to work more closely together," Ha Cong Tuan, deputy director of the Viet Nam Administration of Forestry, said.

"This is an opportunity for Viet Nam to collaborate with Cambodia for bilateral solutions that fulfill national and international commitments on wildlife trade."

Recent improvements to the road network have connected Phnom Penh and HCM City, posing a great challenge to authorities along the border.

While both countries have made efforts to combat the illegal trade on their side of the border, co-ordination between them has been limited.

"This workshop supports a number of mechanisms for regional co-operation that are already in place and strengthens the existing processes to detect and prosecute violations," Sulma Warne of TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, said.

It is being hosted by the Viet Nam Administration of Forestry with technical support from TRAFFIC and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

It is part of the "Tiger Futures: Mainstreaming Conservation in Large Landscapes" project funded by the World Bank's Global Environment Facility programme.

A similar workshop for enforcement officials from Viet Nam and Laos is planned for the end of May.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News