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VietNamNet Bridge – While relevant ministries still puzzled about dealing
with harmful exotic species, experts believe that the State needs to set up
concrete regulations to strictly manage the import of exotic species.
Vietnamese agencies still puzzled in managing exotic species
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Exotic species are the creatures which exist in some places and live “peacefully” with other creatures in a biological harmonization. However, the species, for some reasons, develop and escape from the areas, and then settle down in other localities as well, they may do harm to the creature system in the destination areas.
On the native land, the existing food conditions and living environment can create a so called biological balance; the species do not harm other species. But things may be quite different if the species exist and develop in other living environments.
Currently, exotic species can penetrate into Vietnam through two main channels, either by natural ways or by the activities of the human kind.
Vietnam many times imported exotic species on purpose, for the socio-economic development, including eucalyptus, acacia mangium, super-lean pigs. However, in many cases, due to the lack of knowledge, Vietnam imported harmful species, such as golden snails, nutria or red ear turtles. Some Vietnamese people, when returning from tours, bring the plants they find beautiful to grow at their gardens. They could not imagine that the plants could grow so rapidly and kill domestic plants.
In other cases, though well understanding the problems to be caused by the exotic species, some businessmen still imported the species and distributed in the domestic market for profit.
Recently, Vietnam imported a kind of animal, advertised as velvet, but in fact, is a kind of mouse after some experts said that the breeding of the animal would bring high economic value, because they can provide materials for making fur coats.
The import has only been stopped recently after experts pointed out that it was too early to say if Vietnamese tanning industry can make fur coats from the animals, while no thorough survey about the impacts of the animals had been made. No one can say for sure if the new kind of rat brings any germs and if they destroy the biodiversity.
Since the regulations about the species allowed and not allowed to be imported to Vietnam remain unclear, the two Ministries Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), and Science and Technology (MST) recently argued about whether to list white leg shrimp as a kind of harmful exotic species.
MARD, who tried to protect farmers, said that white leg shrimp are being bred in many countries in the world, and that the shrimp hatchery would bring high economic values to poor farmers. Meanwhile, MST believes that white leg shrimp is a kind of harmful exotic species which needs to be prevented from entering Vietnam.
Quyen also thinks that though the Biodiversity Law comprises the provisions on exotic species management, there have been no legal documents issued by ministries that guide the implementation of the law.
“Recently, MONRE released the list of exotic species, but I think this is just a temporary work,” Quyen said.
He went on to say that it is necessary to strictly obey the regulations on exotic species control. In other countries, it is very difficult to carry fresh plants through the border gates. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, it is very easy to carry plants across the border, grow and develop them, without having to ask for the permission of anyone.
Not only having released the list of tens of harmful exotic species, relevant agencies have also organized training courses to improve the capability of officers. However, the activities alone are still far from helping fulfill the ambitious plan on eliminating 50 percent of harmful exotic species.
Source: Kinh te nong thon
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