Wildlife of Lao PDR: 1999 Status Report - IUCN

should continue to be based on sound biological and
conservation principles which are not compromised
by considerations of short-term economic gain.
• Accession to CITES, to strengthen international linkages
and to facilitate regulation and control of trade in animal
and plant species. Much of the most damaging trade in
Lao wildlife is driven by external demand and international
co-operation, notably with Vietnam, China and
Thailand, will be required for its control. Recommendations
specific to this topic will be made in Compton (in
prep. b).
• Awareness-raising activities in border areas and in rural
and urban markets, supported by enhanced monitoring
of trade volumes and routes of wildlife products from
capture to final destination.
• Greatly increased patrolling of border areas to limit illegal
removal of wildlife from Lao PDR to neighbouring
countries. Robichaud (1999) discussed some of the issues
and appropriate measures confronting management
of border NBCAs.
Legislation and policy
• Review and revision of existing national legislation with
respect to wildlife, habitats, protected areas and wildlife
trade. This is the essential base without which none of
the present recommendations can be implemented fully.
There is currently a deal of uncertainty regarding the intent
and interpretation of existing legislation, particularly
regarding wildlife trade (Table 5; see Baird 1993). Methods
of strengthening enforcement of existing laws are
still under investigation. The concept of providing complete
protection to the most vulnerable and/or seriously
threatened species, and seasonal protection to others, follows
accepted wildlife management principles and should
be maintained. Wildlife and fish are an essential food
source for much of Lao PDR’s human population. To be
enforceable, harvest regulations will need to make sense
to these major users of the resource, at minimum permitting
un- or lightly-regulated subsistence harvest of common,
widespread species by rural residents. Attention to
the species listed as subject to management controls is
urgent. Other high-priority activities are: updating existing
laws to incorporate developments in the protected areas
network; revising the laws relating to wetlands to prevent
their degradation; and drafting laws to reduce pollution
threats and promote sustainable use of resources.
• Formulation and promotion of policies relating to conservation
of wildlife and habitats. These include national
policy statements to guide management of protected
areas, to state actions to address the severe trade pressure
on wildlife, and on the destiny of confiscated wildlife
and wildlife products.
• Development of a strategy to address the issue of crop
destruction and livestock depredation by wildlife. This
may need action to compensate farmers for major crop
damages and livestock losses attributable to wildlife, in
exchange for protection of areas and/or species of special
conservation interest. The issue is complex and merits
attention from a suitably qualified panel of experts.
• Continued gun collection and the initiation of a scheme
to reduce snaring and other non-selective trapping. Activities
should focus initially on protected areas, to reduce
opportunistic and non-selective wildlife killing.
Programmes would need careful formulation to minimise
unnecessary impacts on current harvesting practices.
Objective documentation of the gun collection scheme
would be invaluable in designing further initiatives, such
as one to reduce snaring. Measures related to gun collection
are most important in NBCAs supporting large
waterbirds, gibbons and langurs. Snare and trap reduction
is most urgently needed in NBCAs supporting good
populations of one or more of Crested Argus, Green Peafowl,
large rails, bears, Large-spotted Civet, Owston’s
Civet, cat species (other than Leopard Cat), Eld’s Deer,
Hog Deer, muntjacs (other than Red Muntjac), wild cattle
and Saola.
• Acceding to international conventions which enhance the
conservation of wildlife and habitats. Appropriate steps
include: nominating protected areas as ASEAN Heritage
Sites or World Heritage Sites; nominating wetlands of
international conservation value as Ramsar sites; and
becoming a party to CITES. Lao PDR has already become
a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity
and is likely shortly to accede to it.
• Inclusion of mandatory independent environmental impact
assessments of major development projects (including
plans for large-scale logging and building or upgrading
roads), with impacts on wildlife species and their
habitats evaluated and mitigated according to international
standards.
Education and awareness building
Introduction
• Education and training of national, provincial and district
personnel, including customs officers, charged with
protected area and wildlife management in issues relating
to protected area management, species conservation,
and wildlife trade. This would be assisted by the compilation
and distribution of relevant training manuals and
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