no more exotica - cambodia; road running through oldest national park - Ho Chi Minh

[Guest guest]

The Star - December 4th 2001

 

Ho Chi Minh - Authorities told restaurants in the Cambodian capital recently to

stop serving rare animals or face closure. Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Seng Tong

asked around 100 restaurateurs to sign agreements with the city administration

promising to take rare wild animals off their menus. " We have educated you for

years to save wildlife. But there has been no result. Now you must sign and

halt this practice immediately. Whoever is stubborn will face the court and

have their restaurants shut down, " he told restaurant owners at a special

meeting.

 

Many restaurants in Phnom Penh serve rare animals because patrons believe eating

parts of animals such as tigers, bears, scaly ant eaters, porcupines and

turtles can cure diseases and ensure sexual potency.

 

Raids by wildlife protection officials this year have rescued more than 1,300

endangered animals from kitchens in Phnom Penh. Phat Leng, municipal wildlife

office chief, said after the Nov. 16 meeting that Cambodians would have to

replace their passion for rare animals with sport to stay healthy.

 

Vietnam - A state committee has approved a controversial plan to route a new

north-south highway through the country's oldest national park, a habitat for

many rare and endangered plant and animal species.

 

The State Appraisal Committee approved the routing plan for the Ho Chi Minh

Highway two weeks and submitted it for approval to Prime Minister Phan, an

official of the project's management board said last week.

 

The official from the Construction Ministry, said approval should be a

formality. " Now that the committee has passed the plan, there should be no

problems, " she said. " I think the prime minister will approve it soon. "

 

Environmental groups have said the plan to run the highway through the Cuc

Phuong park - which starts about 90km south of Hanoi and which was inaugurated

by late independence hero Ho Chi Minh - poses a serious threat to endangered

species. They say Cuc Phuong is a global centre for plant diversity and home to

Delacour's langur, a critically endangered primate, as well as the grey-headed

fish eagle, tigers and elephants.

 

The official said the committee had examined two options: to upgrade an existing

road running through the west of the park into a 28km stretch of highway, or to

build a new road, skirting the park. The latter road would be 20km longer,

cost nearly US$20mil more and require the relocation of more than 900 families

instead of 80. The former plan included 3,200m of bridges to limit the

environmental impact.

 

Craig Leisher, a programme director of the World Wildlife Fund, said it

recognised the need for a new highway but did not recommend building it through

the park. " There are technical reasons for the plan, but there are other reasons

to keep the park intact, " he was quoted as saying.