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  Yahoo News 6 Apr 07
Vietnam PM approves tiger farms

Yahoo News 6 Apr 07
Vietnam PM approves disputed tiger farms

Yahoo News 29 Mar 07
Tigers in the eye of Vietnam conservation storm
by Frank Zeller

PlanetArk 14 Mar 07
Vietnam Orders Measures on Private Tiger Breeding

HANOI - A government ministry proposes confiscating as many as 37 illegally bred tigers in southern Vietnam, state media said on Tuesday, but questions remain about what the government would do with the animals.

Only about 150 tigers survive in the wild in Vietnam, where much of their natural habitat has been destroyed, so releasing them into the wild might not be an option, according to conservationists.

"We have made recommendations to the authorities on how to deal with the tigers, but the issue is fraught with problems," said Tim Knight, spokesman for the conservation group, Wildlife at Risk, in Ho Chi Minh City.

"From a conservation point of view, keeping them for breeding purposes would be the best thing."

The reports said the tigers were found in Binh Duong province in districts about 40 km (25 miles) north of Ho Chi Minh City. They are being kept privately by individuals and organisations.

The official Vietnam News Agency and newspapers said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung had told the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to "work out measures" to deal with the tigers in the province.

They said the ministry "proposed to confiscate all illegally bred tigers and transfer them to authorised organisations to raise in line with the state's regulations". It did not say where the animals might be taken.

Breeding tigers in captivity is difficult and the enormous demand in Vietnam and other Asian countries to consume parts of exotic animals for culinary or medicinal purposes threatens many species.

Communist-run Vietnam signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, in 1994, but wildlife groups have criticised the country for inconsistent enforcement.

Yahoo News 29 Mar 07
Tigers in the eye of Vietnam conservation storm
by Frank Zeller

An emotional dispute over the fate of 41 captive tigers in Vietnam has pitted a beer company owner against a coalition of environmental groups who are describing it as a test case in conservation.

The headline-grabbing battle started more than two weeks ago when the prime minister ordered authorities to take action against four families who were keeping the endangered cats in unofficial private zoos near Ho Chi Minh City.

Since then the tigers have rarely been out of the news as the owners have fought back, claiming they are taking better care of the tigers than the government could in its poorly-funded zoos.

Spokesman of the group Ngo Duy Tan, owner of Pacific Brewery, and of 24 tigers, has drawn much public support while threatening to sue for libel those who have accused him of breaking the law.

Many Vietnamese have backed him in the media, and ex-prime minister Vo Van Kiet said Tan should be applauded for helping conserve the species, despite the fact he has contravened international treaties.

As Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is expected to make a final decision, a coalition of environmental groups has written to him, demanding that Vietnam enforce its laws, confiscate the endangered cats and punish the owners.

"The public should be left without doubt that no one should be allowed to keep tigers as pets or breed this endangered species and that all effort should be focussed on the conservation of this animal in the wild," they said.

The group includes the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC, the Worldwide Fund for Nature, the World Conservation Union, Fauna and Flora International and local groups Wildlife At Risk and Education for Nature.

The coalition pointed to reports that the tigers were illegally trafficked from neighbouring Cambodia, breaching the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which Vietnam ratified in 1994.

The treaty aims to stop the use of wildlife products, mainly in traditional Chinese medicine and as food, an illegal trade in which Vietnam is both a destination country and trans-shipment hub to China and beyond.

The environmental groups stressed that habitat degradation and fragmentation, hunting and the illegal wildlife trade had pushed tigers "close to extinction in Vietnam" with only about 100 left in the wild.

They also rejected claims that the tigers were being bred for conservation purposes, saying their genetic origin was unknown and that there have been no known successful introductions of captive tigers into the wild.

The letter was immediately leaked to the media, fuelling the heated debate, and Tan has since threatened to sue the groups for having "seriously hurt his dignity, honour and prestige".

Amid the row, all sides admit there are few good options. Releasing the animals into the wild is not feasible since few virgin forests remain, the tigers are not accustomed to fending for themselves, they would be under threat from poachers, and would present a danger to humans.

Giving them to a zoo is equally tricky since no facility in Vietnam exists that could absorb more than three dozen tigers.

A third option mentioned by officials would be to euthanise them, a step certain to cause a public outcry.

For now, the fate of the tigers is in limbo amid signs Hanoi's stance has softened since newspapers and TV crews stormed the tiger farms and reported how well the animals were being cared for.

Tan said he bought five ailing tiger cubs in 2000 and bred them to a group of 24 now, claiming he was motivated by his love of the animals, not profit. He said he had kept provincial authorities informed all along and applied to set up a conservation park but received no response.

"I am just an ordinary man who wants to protect the animals from being killed," he told AFP. "I have created a friendly environment for the tigers. Each month, I spend 100 million dong (6,200 dollars) on them."

Agriculture Minister Cao Duc Phat, who oversees the forest protection department that is meant to police the illegal wildlife trade, visited last week and reportedly said he was impressed at "how healthy the tigers are".

Many letters to newspapers also backed Tan, the tiger man. "Those who proposed the confiscation of the tigers should go into early retirement," fumed reader Thien Phat. "The prime minister should think carefully before making a decision if he does not want to upset and lose his prestige before the people."

For their part, the six conservation groups are trying to agree on a publicly acceptable solution while getting their message across.

"This is a tipping point for conservation," said Sulma Warne, Greater Mekong coordinator of TRAFFIC. "If inappropriate decisions are made here, we're setting a precedent for other endangered species."

Yahoo News 6 Apr 07
Vietnam PM approves tiger farms

Three private tiger farms in southern Vietnam will be allowed to keep 43 of the endangered animals, the government said Friday, handing the breeders a victory over environmental groups.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung decided that, while the owners had breached a ban on keeping the tigers, they were better equipped than Vietnam's zoos to take care of the animals which cannot be released into the wild.

"The prime minister has agreed with the proposal by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, allowing the pilot raising of tigers and some wild animals in Binh Duong ( province)," the ministry said on its website.

The ruling ended an emotional dispute between the owners, led by outspoken brewery boss and former soldier Ngo Duy Tan, and a coalition of environmental groups which demanded the enforcement of Vietnam's wildlife protection laws.

Tan, who also owns bears, gibbons and crocodiles and has threatened to sue the six environmental groups for libel, has drawn much public support and the backing of a former prime minister.

The coalition -- including wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC, the Worldwide Fund for Nature and the World Conservation Union -- said the farms breached Vietnam's laws and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ( CITES), which Vietnam has signed.

The treaty aims to stop the use of wildlife products, mainly in traditional East Asian medicine and as food, an illegal trade in which Vietnam is both a major destination country and a trans-shipment hub to China and beyond.

The environmental groups, in a letter to Prime Minister Dung, stressed that habitat destruction, hunting and the illegal wildlife trade had pushed tigers "close to extinction in Vietnam" with only about 100 left in the wild.

Yahoo News 6 Apr 07
Vietnam PM approves disputed tiger farms

Three private tiger farms in southern Vietnam will be allowed to keep 43 of the endangered animals, the government said Friday, handing the breeders a victory over environmental groups.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung decided that, while the owners had breached a ban on keeping the tigers, they were better equipped than Vietnam's zoos to take care of the animals which cannot be released into the wild.

"The prime minister has agreed with the proposal by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, allowing the pilot raising of tigers and some wild animals in Binh Duong ( province)," the ministry said on its website.

The ruling ended an emotional dispute between the owners, led by outspoken brewery boss and former soldier Ngo Duy Tan, and a coalition of environmental groups which demanded the enforcement of Vietnam's wildlife protection laws.

Tan, who also owns bears, gibbons and crocodiles and has threatened to sue the six environmental groups for libel, has drawn much public support and the backing of a former prime minister.

The environmental groups -- including wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC, the Worldwide Fund for Nature and the World Conservation Union -- said the farms breached the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which Vietnam has signed. The treaty aims to stop the use of wildlife products, mainly in traditional East Asian medicine and as food, an illegal trade in which Vietnam is both a major destination country and a trans-shipment hub to China and beyond.

The environmental groups, in an earlier letter to Dung, stressed that habitat destruction, hunting and the illegal wildlife trade had pushed tigers "close to extinction in Vietnam" with only about 100 left in the wild.

Tim Knight of the Ho Chi Minh City-based group Wildlife At Risk (WAR) conceded after Friday's news of the decision that "the actions of at least one of the tiger breeders are motivated by a genuine love for tigers."

"Nevertheless, our experience tells us that there is now a danger that other, less well- intentioned, unscrupulous people will jump on the bandwagon and try to breed tigers for commercial gain, using animals sourced from the remaining wild population," he said in a statement.

"It is vital for conservation that we discourage people from keeping tigers as status symbols or for financial profit."

Tiger owner Tan hailed his victory. "I am very happy," he told AFP. "I believe in the clear leadership of the (communist) party and the prime minister who have received good support from Vietnam's different ministries and agencies."
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