Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Peace Indepedence Democracy Unity Prosperity

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment            Ref no.  2806/MONRE
Vientiane Capital, 30 May 2016

Instruction

To: - Director of Provincial and Vientiane Capital Department of Natural Resources and  Environment.
      - Head of Natural Resources and Environment District office nationwide.
Subject:    Strengthening the Administration of Aquatic Animal and Wildlife Nationwide

-Pursuant to Article 64, Chapter VII of Law on Aquatic Animal and Wildlife ref no. 07/NA, dated 24 Dec 2007.

-Pursuant to Prime Minister Decree ref no. 435/PM, dated 28 Nov 2011 on Organization and Function of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

In recent years, local authorities have been paid more attention on the administration of aquatic animal and wildlife in their community by patrolling areas surrounding the national conservation and protection forest, potential risk area, markets and restaurants at the same time there are also disseminations by issuing regulations and imposing measures to prohibit the hunting and catching during aquatic animal and wildlife’s pregnancy, reproduction of animals, and preventing illegal trading. Also the community is persuaded to hand over hunting weapon and destructive fishing tools to local authority to ensure that their administration and utilization in accordance with Law on aquatic animal and wildlife.

In parallel with that it is also observed that in some areas there are violation of the law through trading forbidden aquatic animal and wildlife in markets and alongside the roads. Also there are illegal hunting of aquatic animal and wildlife, fishing with weapon/bomb/poison/ chemical/electric shock and etc. In some local there is a phenomenon of shooting wild elephant, trading aquatic animal and wildlife under forbidden list (List I) and controlled List (List II) in the markets and restaurants without compliance with law and regulation.

The above mentioned phenomenon is the violation of applicable law and regulation, the international treaty that Lao PDR is a contracting party and it is also threatening the breeding and safety of aquatic animal and wildlife in our country.

Therefore, in order to address those discouragements turning them into legal system, to actively create activities on National Day on releasing fishes and conserving aquatic animal and wildlife  on 13 July 2016 and to create conditions for the breeding of aquatic animal and wildlife

Minister issues an instruction:

            Vientiane Capital and Provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, District office of Natural Resources and Environment shall coordinate with local authorities and concerned agencies to implement the administration of aquatic animal and wildlife nationwide as follows:

  1. Local authority is requested to widely disseminate and educate main content of the Law on Aquatic Animal and Wildlife in various forms to officers, soldiers, policemen, traders, restaurant owners and people from all ethnic groups;
  2. advertise publically, raise awareness to the whole society about the importance of aquatic animal and wildlife to the natural environment, human livelihood, and illustrate the deterioration of aquatic animal and wildlife in our country both in terms of quantity and species via multimedia such as newspapers, radios and televisions, poem, song, Lao folk song, short stories, in addition to that, if condition allows, drawing competition,  exhibition and  persons outstanding award on conserving an aquatic animal and wildlife should be organized. Guidebook and technical papers on fish breeding and aquatic animal and wildlife conservation matters should be distributed to provide a basic knowledge in aquatic animal and wildlife conservation widely;
  3. Issues a notification to business operators related to aquatic animal and wildlife to implement the Law on Aquatic Animal and Wildlife Part IV Utilizing Aquatic Animal and Wildlife, Section 2 Business Related to Aquatic Animal and Wildlife, Article 35, 37 and 38. Also data collection, registration of aquatic animal and wildlife nourished by human  including the possession of ivory in each village, district and province should be paid attention on;
  4. Monitor-inspect and continue to encourage villagers to volunteer for being a role model in handing over hunting weapon and destructive fishing tools to local authority and concerned officers to enable the administration according to the Law;
  5. Collaborate with local authority to widely encourage and organize freeing traditional fish event into pond, marsh, river, reservoir such as reservoir for irrigation, hydropower dam and freeing any type of wildlife that is generated from human breeding into the conservation forest where is considered to be safe and enable for breeding.
  6. Definitely Prohibit to catch, trade, hunt aquatic animal and wildlife under prohibited list (List I) and Controlled List (List II) in every season (details indicated in List I and List II annexed to this instruction);
  • Prohibit to put out lived forbidden aquatic animal and wildlife, ivory, animal corpse, parts, and animal organs from their habitation or origins for occupying.
  • Prohibit to hunt aquatic animal and wildlife under general list (List III) in the forbidden areas, wildlife conservation area and reserved area especially during the Buddhist Lent;
  • Prohibit to invade directly or indirectly wildlife protection area, reserved area for fish varieties, habitation and food sources of aquatic animal and wildlife such as pioneering, resettlement,  slash and burn, wood logging, over utilized of pesticides and herbicides, and other actions that are not compliant with the law;
  • Prohibit to occupy, relocate, change or destroy territory markers of reserved areas, animal conservation area and wildlife and aquatic animal living area.    
  1. Definitely Prohibit shops, markets, shopping center, hotels or other places to sell, display and trade the forbidden aquatic animal and wildlife both live and dead, parts or organs of the aquatic animal and wildlife in List I and List II;
  2. Definitely Prohibit restaurants to serve food cooked from the forbidden aquatic animal and wildlife in the List I and List II including the prohibition to publicize, encourage and convince people to consume.
  3. Impose prohibited measures for fishing during the fish spawning season starting from 1 May to 31 October every year as during this season aquatic animal and wildlife are pregnant and breeding therefore it is prohibited to hunt all type of animal. In addition to that, officers should be appointed to monitor from time to time the fish spawning area mainly at the reserved area for fish varieties. It is prohibited to block the way for fish to laying down eggs in tributary and stream by creating Het Ton, Het Li, Sai Lop or Tong (all 4 type is using the stone to block the water from two side and use a long shape bamboo box in the middle to catch fish and other animals), fish catching net with very tiny hole. It is absolutely prohibited to use bomb, chemical, electric shock and destructive fishing tools.
  4. create a plan and cooperate with concerned authorities particularly local authority in each level in organizing celebrating events for freeing fish day and national aquatic animal and wildlife conservation day on 13 July to become a good practice of national tradition (as the following slogans):
  • Congratulations to the freeing fish and national aquatic animal and wildlife conservation day, 13 July 2016.
  • Aquatic animal and wildlife protection is an obligation and duty of people in the nation.
  • Together protect the forest, aquatic animal and wildlife to be forever abundant. 
  1. Vientiane capital and provincial department of natural resources and environment, district office of natural resources and environment nationwide shall take a major role to educate and implement this instruction seriously.
  2. This instruction shall enter into force immediately after being signed.

Minister

(Signed and Sealed)

Sommad PHOLSENA

Copy and delivery:

  • Prime Minister’s Office (for reporting)
  • Ministry of Information and Culture (newspaper, radio and television) (for broadcast and dissemination)
  • Vientiane capital and provincial Administration Office nationwide (for information and encourage the implementation)
  • Departments under Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment (for implementation)
  • Vientiane capital and provincial department of natural resources and environment (for implementation)
  • District office of natural resources and environment (for implementation)
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