US Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell has said her visit to Vietnam on June 29-July 1 aims to boost the US-Vietnam cooperation in the fight against wildlife trafficking, including elephant, rhino, sea tortoise, tiger, and pangolin.

At a meeting with the press on June 30, Ms Jewell emphasised on the importance of IEC (information, education and communication) activities to raise public awareness on wildlife protection in all countries in the world.

She revealed that the US has recently destroyed 1 ton of elephant’s tusks at Times Square in New York and organised events with the participation of movie stars to call on citizens to get involved in wildlife protection.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has issued a decree banning illegal trade of wildlife and many ministers showed their strong support for the implementation of wildlife trade prevention measures.

Ms Jewell added that Vietnam has been successful in law enforcement, including the mandatory motorcycle helmet law. It shows that the country is likely to be successful in wildlife protection work.

During her stay in Vietnam, Ms Jewell visited Cuc Phuong National Park and some wildlife conservation centres.