Law on Aquatics and Wildlife needed

The Lao PDR, a country in the South East Asian region, is abundant of forests with an ecological diversity that covers an area of 205 millions ha. She is also abundant of natural' resources: there is still a big "area of cultivating land, many rivers and their tributaries constitute the main source of living for many plants, animals and various aquatic animals which is the basic resources for the socio-economic development and plays an important role in contributing to the GDP.

The wetland area covers 945 ha, which constitute the fishery habitat for various aquatic animals such as traditional fishes, frogs, turtles and shells etc, which represent more than 50 % of high protein food for the local consumption of the Lao population. Lao fauna comprises of 166 species of reptiles and amphibians, 700 species of birds (another 100 are seasonally likely to occur), 90 known species of bats and over 100 species of large mammals. About 500 indigenous fish species are reported to live in the Mekong River and its tributaries in Lao PDR.

Nevertheless, the forest area is decreasing rapidly and continues in this way creating an important impact on the biological diversity especially to the plants, wildlife, aquatic animal, etc. and to the way of life of the Lao multiethnic people as well. These elements partly occurs due to the slash- and-burn culture related to the rapid growth of the population, the limited and lack of cultivating lands, the excessive collect of fauna and flora. Furthermore, prevailing hunting and fishing practices and illegal trade in midlife have accelerated the loss of the nation’s biodiversity.  

The Government of the Lao PDR always attaches a great importance to the sustainable development and the protection of environment, particularly the protection of aquatics and wildlife. The Government has also applied land and forest allocation policy, which has been conducted along with the protection of the forest and the promotion of sustainable use of wildlife, fauna and flora. The Government has enacted different laws such as the Forestry Law, the Law on Water and Water Resources, the Law on land and the Law on Agriculture and different decrees to be used as reference to implement the Government's policy. Furthermore, the Government has also set up a strategic plan for the development of Agriculture and Forests, Biodiversity; Research, and Human Resources to be accomplished by 2020. Moreover, it has defined the area of 20 biological natural reserves, in addition to 2 linked areas that covers 3.31 million ha so means 14 % of the total area of the country. On 30 May 2004 the Lao PDR became a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora. 

Even though the Lao PDR has made efforts in protecting aquatics and wildlife and adopted many laws and decrees to protect the national resources, Law on Aquatics and Wildlife is necessary. Therefore, the relevant organisations formulated the draft Law on Aquatics and Wildlife to be considered and adopted in the fourth ordinary session of the National Assembly (sixth legislature). The draft law consists of nine Parts, nine Chapters and 77 Articles.