Three celebrities in Vietnam are joining the “Say No to Ivory” campaign as official ambassadors.

The campaign, launched in Ho Chi Minh City this week, aims to raise awareness of protecting elephants and other animals with ivory.

Miss Universe Vietnam 2015 Pham Huong, Miss Vietnam first runner-up Le Hang, and popular emcee Trac Thuy Mieu have all signed onto the campaign, organized by animal protection organization Wild Aid in cooperation with the Center for Hands-on Action and Networking for Growth and Environment (CHANGE) – a member of The Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA).

Elephants are currently listed as an endangered species in Vietnam and are protected by the government through the prohibition of ivory sales. Despite the prohibition, ivory continues to be illegally imported into the country.

Hence, with the ambitious goal of completely ending the ivory trade in order to save elephants from extinction, WildAid and CHANGE, alongside other partners and ambassadors, launched the “Say No to Ivory” campaign on August 30.

Each year, around 33,000 elephants are killed for ivory. Photo: WildAid and CHANGE

During the launch ceremony, Miss Universe Vietnam 2015 Pham Huong shared that “[she] was very fortunate to be able to witness gentle and lovely wild elephants during [her] 5-month trip to Kenya as WildAid and CHANGE’s ambassador.”

“Thanks to the trip, I better understand my responsibilities to CHANGE and WildAid,” she said.

“I will use my powerful influence to call for an end to the illegal trade of ivory and save elephants from the risk of extinction.”

The campaign’s organizers are also attempting to draw attention to the sudden and serious decrease in the number of elephants left in Africa due to illegal poaching. By discouraging consumers from purchasing ivory and calling for government support in enforcing its prohibition, WildAid and Change hope to help bring these animals back from the brink of extinction.

However, the problem in Vietnam is more than just illegal ivory consumption. The elephant population in the Southeast Asian country has also experienced a dramatic decrease because of illegal poaching.

According to Do Quang Tung, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, in Vietnam there are currently about 100 elephants living near Vietnam’s borders with Laos and Cambodia.

To prevent the poaching and the illegal trade of wild animals worldwide, Vietnam’s law-making National Assembly has made adjustments to its laws in order to specifically address crimes related to elephant ivory.

The “Say No to Ivory” campaign is aimed at encouraging Vietnamese to join global efforts in saving elephants from extinction. Photo:  WildAid and CHANGE

“Cooperation and coordination among worldwide organizations, especially non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as CHANGE and WildAid’s ‘Say No to Ivory’ campaign will end the ivory trade in Vietnam as well as the transportation of ivory to other countries,” said Tung.

John Baker, WildAid’s program director, emphasized: “We want to help Vietnam to become a leading country in saving the elephants by ending illegal ivory trade, as well as transport to other countries.”

According to Baker, WildAid’s research shows that Vietnamese do not consume a considerable amount of elephant ivory and seem to truly appreciate the animal. Therefore, they do not want to be a part of the epidemic.  

The chief of the Customs Department of Ho Chi Minh City in Area 1 said that in just the last three months of 2016, six tonnes of ivory was seized in the area.

This shows the scope of Vietnam’s role in transporting ivory around the region.

However, there is still a concern for legal transparency regarding goods imported from overseas.

The “Say No to Ivory” campaign’s three ambassadors: Miss Universe Vietnam 2015 Pham Huong, Miss Vietnam first runner-up Le Hang, and emcee Trac Thuy Mieu (from left to right). Photo: Tuoi Tre

Without transparency, fines are less serious and many traders are able to avoid punishment. Hence, the trade continues.

In the last 10 years, the world has lost hundreds of thousands of elephants, forcing their population to decrease to 420,000 from the 1.2 million African elephants in 1979.

As stated by CHANGE, poaching, especially in Africa, is still existent.

According to recent statistics, 33,000 elephants are killed for ivory every year. China accounts for 70 percent of the worldwide demand for this product.

The most concerning matter is the huge profits to be made from the ivory trade, which are estimated at US$450-900 per kilogram.

Currently there are about 420,000 African elephants distributed between South Africa (56 percent), East Africa (27 percent), Central Africa (16 percent), and West Africa (1.5 percent). 

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