RELIGIOUS RELEASE OF WILDLIFE: KINDNESS OR KARMA?
Hanoi, September 17, 2024 – Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) released their 58th Public Service Announcement (PSA), titled “Religious release of wildlife: Kindness or Karma?” The PSA addresses the urgent issue of turtle sales for religious releases, urging the public to bring good luck and positive karma for themselves and turtles by halting the practice of releasing turtles, most of which are taken from the wild.
The PSA follows the harrowing journey of a turtle, from being hunted in its natural habitat to being sold to various traders, ultimately ending its journey in a city where it’s purchased for religious release. The vicious cycle only breaks when a monk intervenes to stop the release, advising the well-meaning patron to turn over the turtle to local authorities, and refraining from buying turtles in the future. The monk goes on to explain that this practice only promotes the hunting and trade of turtles and will not bring any luck to those who buy and release turtles.
“In Vietnam, many people buy turtles and other wildlife illegally and then release them into local pagoda’s ponds, lakes, and rivers. They believe that releasing animals is an act of kindness and thus will bring luck to their family. Unfortunately, they don’t realize that their “act of kindness” has harmful impacts on turtle populations and our ecosystems,” says Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Dung – Vice Director of ENV.
Vietnam is home to 26 species of tortoises and freshwater turtles (TFTs). IUCN lists 22 of these species as critically endangered (CR) or endangered (EN). Eight out of 26 species are fully protected by Vietnamese law, and all forms of commercial hunting and trade of these eight species are strictly prohibited. However, from 2020 to August 2024, ENV recorded the confiscation or voluntary transfer of 8,450 freshwater turtles and tortoises across Vietnam.
This PSA is part of ENV’s broader campaign aimed at bringing an end to turtle sales for religious releases at pagodas. In 2020, ENV initiated collaboration with 1,135 pagodas across the country aimed at reducing turtle releases on their premises. ENV communicates regularly with these pagodas, providing support in their efforts to educate their patrons about the negative impact of buying and releasing turtles, and facilitating transfers of turtles to rescue centers.
“The selling of turtles for religious release has become a major challenge for law enforcement agencies across the country in their efforts of combatting the illegal hunting and trade of turtles. We highly appreciate that many pagodas have been actively educating their patrons and transferring turtles to local authorities, and that the public continues to report sales of turtles at shops and along streets,” says Ms. Dung.
“We believe that the buying will stop when would-be buyers come to understand that buying turtles that have been taken from the wild is a crime against nature that is firmly in conflict with Buddhist beliefs.” concluded Ms. Dung.
ENV wishes to thank and acknowledge the Humane Society International, United States Department of State, Asian Turtle Program of Indo-Myanmar Conservation, Cuc Phuong National Park, and Hanoi Rescue Center for their valuable support in producing this PSA. The PSA is currently being broadcast on local TV stations nationwide and will be covered widely on ENV’s and partners’ social media platforms.
