First Vietnamese wildlife conservationist receives Goldman Environmental Prize
Surprised and proud
Thái said: “I was really surprised when I heard I was one of the prize winners this year.”
Because he did not have to submit an application or apply, the organisers of the prize secretly found candidates, evaluated and then announced the winners, he added.
“I am also very proud to be the first Vietnamese working in the field of wildlife protection to receive the award,” Thái said.
“This is the biggest prize I have received in my life so far,” he said.
Thái planned to spend the money on the conservation of pangolins and wildlife in the future, he said.
The award was recognition for his tireless efforts in protecting wildlife, he said.
“I think the award will help me build more trust among international partners, sponsors and the Vietnamese co妹妹unity so that they will co-operate with me in wildlife conservation in the future,” he said.
Motivation for wildlife conservation
Thái grew up near Cúc Phương National Park in the northern province of Ninh Bình. When he was a child, he witnessed a mother and baby pangolin being caught and killed by people in his village.
“Therefore, I decided to make pangolin conservation my life’s work,” he said.
He applied to study Forest Protection and Management at the Forestry University in 二00 一- 二00 五.
Five years later, he went to the United Kingdom for a six-month course on wildlife conservation management in 二0 一0.
Then he studied for a master's degree in wildlife conservation at the National University of Australia in 二0 一 二.
Thái said in 二0 一 四 – when he set up Save Vietnam's Wildlife – a centre to secure a future for Vietnamese wildlife, he realised that most of the wildlife conservation activities were momentary and short-term.
“They are not sustainable,” he said.
Most projects to conserve wildlife at that time were carried out under the sponsorship of international organisations, he added.
Thus, he decided to establish the centre to save Việt Nam’s wildlife in the long-term, he said.
Advantages and disadvantages
Thái said in recent years, pangolins had become more known, so many people in the co妹妹unity started taking action to protect the species.
“It is one of the advantages,” he said.
Another advantage was he could combine his understanding of Vietnamese people in wildlife consumption and the knowledge he learned from international training courses and conferences for conservation, he said.
Talking about the disadvantages, Thái said building an operating mechanism for a non-profit organisation in Việt Nam was a challenge, while there were not many guidelines as well as lessons in management and administration.
Additionally, worrying about funds to implement wildlife conservation activities was also a challenge, he said.
“The habit of consuming wild animals is deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture, so changing their habit is a really hard and long-term task,” he added.
Moreover, the participation of non-profit organisations in wildlife conservation had not yet received much attention from State management agencies as expected, he said.
Future plans
Thái plans to grow the model of wildlife conservation, carried out by Save Vietnam's Wildlife, to many national parks across the country.
He also wanted to contribute to the amendment of some legal documents, making use of wild animals a prohibited act and strongly condemning and sanctioning violators, he said.
They would continue developing the livelihoods for mountainous people around key conservation areas in the country, as well as enhancing information to change people's behaviour in consuming wild animals in Việt Nam, he said.
They would also attract more businesses and individuals to contribute to wildlife and biodiversity conservation in Việt Nam in the future, he added.
"One person cannot protect wildlife, one organisation cannot protect wildlife, but all of us can. We need everyone to protect wildlife,"大众Thái said. — VNS
