Biodiversity: A balance between conservation and exploitation is needed

Vietnam ranks 16th in the world in terms of biodiversity (biodiversity), with an ecosystem of 11,458 animal species, more than 21,000 plant species and about 3,000 species of microorganisms . However, like many countries in the world. Gender, Vietnam is facing serious depletion of biodiversity rich ecosystems.

Exploiting too threshold

Vietnam with high biodiversity has been recognized as one of the countries that need priority for global conservation . Recent studies have identified many threats as well as the cause of Vietnam's degradation of biodiversity. One of the issues of biodiversity that needs to be protected is that the nature reserve system must be sustainable, because these reserves are not currently integrated between conservation and development and improvement. local economic good.

Biodiversity is currently declining with alarming rates.

Mr. Pham Anh Cuong, Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Conservation of Biodiversity (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) said: Currently, the area of ​​areas with important natural ecosystems is gradually narrowed. The number of species and the number of individuals of wild species is strongly reduced.Many wild species of value are completely reduced in numbers or threatened with high levels of extinction. Wild genetic resources are also on the brink of recession and much loss. Biodiversity degradation leads to ecological imbalance, which directly affects people's living environment, threatening the country's sustainable development .

The total number of wild fauna and flora species in Vietnam is currently threatened with 882 species (Vietnam Red Book, 2007), an increase of 161 species compared to the previous edition of the Red Book (1992, 1996, 2000). In particular, up to this point, up to 9 species of animals and two comedy species are considered extinct in the wild. Many other rare and precious creatures have been severely reduced. ' The main pressures causing biodiversity loss are changing residence; overexploitation of biological resources; Environmental pollution; invasive alien organisms; Climate change '- Cuong said.

In fact, in Vietnam, the work of converting land, especially forest land to land for industrial crops and food is still happening every year. Building infrastructures such as roads, dams and dams has caused degradation, fragmentation, barriers to migration and loss of natural habitats. Illegal exploitation of timber and non-timber forest products, especially hunting and illegal trade of wild animals as well as fishing by destructive measures still seems to be a challenge for need to manage biodiversity conservation.

Besides, activities that cause environmental pollution such as discharging untreated waste into rivers and lakes, air have polluted the environment in water bodies including some coastal areas. The situation of importing alien species into our country has not been controlled, strictly managed and has effective sanctions. The case of importing 40 tons of red-eared turtles is a good example.

Therefore, biodiversity conservation activities need to be carried out regularly, with specific orientation, to ensure a balance between the country's socio-economic development needs and the needs of the general community. about a healthy living environment.

Oriented to 2020, Vietnam's goal is to significantly reduce the direct pressure on biodiversity to conserve, restore and rationally use ecosystems, all kinds of organisms and genetic resources. Priority programs include biodiversity planning, strengthening protected area systems; conservation of precious and rare types prioritized for protection . with solutions on policies, organization, human resource development, science and technology, international cooperation; financial investment.

Biodiversity management is inadequate

Most ministries and branches at the central and local levels think that it is still difficult to implement conservation activities without the guidance documents for implementing the Biodiversity Law. Specifically, the Ministry of Industry and Trade stated that there is a lack of guidelines on State management on biosafety for research, production, trading, import and export of genetically modified food (GMO).

The provisions of the 2008 Biodiversity Law are ' Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, which is responsible to the Government for implementing state management of biodiversity ', meeting criteria consistent with specific biodiversity, which are covering all systems. Natural ecology, species and biological genes without division and depending on the nature and type of each ecosystem. However, the assignment of state management responsibility for biodiversity under the Law on Bio-diversity in 2008 has not met the clear, specific and feasible criteria set by the ' Ministry and ministerial-level agencies within the scope of tasks. and their powers carry out state management of biodiversity according to the assignment of the Government ', so the responsibilities of other ministries and branches are still in the' standby 'regime of the Government.

Many administrative responsibilities related to biodiversity conservation planning, species conservation, genetic resource conservation, access to genetic resources and benefit sharing . have not yet been specified in the current documents. Regarding penal liability, Law 37/2009 / QH 12 amends and supplements a number of articles of the Criminal Code with provisions on crimes related to biodiversity conservation in Articles 182 to 191. However, due to slow guidance regulations are issued so some crimes are still in the 'wait' stage to be enough to handle. Typically, as stipulated in Article 190, ' Crime of violating regulations on protection of animals on the list of endangered, precious and rare species prioritized for protection' has not yet been announced 'list of endangered and precious species. rare protection priority '.

In addition, the regulations on the responsibilities of ministries and agencies in state management of biodiversity in the Laws of Forest Protection and Development 2004, Fisheries Law 2003, Decree 109 and Decree 01 of the Government wear. Although it has met the legal criteria, authority, specific clarity, but has not met the criteria consistent with specific biodiversity. Because before the Biodiversity Law of 2008 was issued, the approach to assigning functions, tasks and powers of ministries and branches was mainly based on the division of natural ecosystems and components of bio-diversity into : forest, sea, wetland . to manage, while the above factors are a unified whole, with very high interaction and not easily distinguishable.

' If the government's assignment to ministries and agencies in the coming time still follows the above direction, which means that different ecosystems will be managed and protected by different agencies as an approach. New and modern of the Law on Bio-diversity 2008 has no practical value. Without a 'new cut' in biodiversity conservation and management, the risk of duplication and overlap in the functions and tasks of ministries and branches is inevitable '- Mr. Pham Anh Cuong emphasized.

Therefore, to consolidate the organizational system of management and enhance the responsibilities of branches, localities, in the immediate future, it is necessary to clearly define the functions of managing biodiversity conservation between ministries and branches. Specifically, it is necessary to focus on adjusting some overlapping tasks between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; transfer a number of tasks in state management of biodiversity of the General Department of Forestry and the General Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to state management agencies under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment school; supplementing functions and tasks of biosafety for Department of Science, Technology and Environment under the Ministry of Industry, Trade, Construction, Health, Science and Technology.