CIRCULAR

SETTING CRITERIA FOR IDENTIFYING HARMFUL ALIEN SPECIES AND PROMULGATING THE LIST OF HARMFUL ALIEN SPECIES

Pursuant to Section 3. Chapter IV of the November 13. 2008 Law on Biodiversity;

Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 25/2008/ND-CP of March 4. 2008. defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

At the proposals of the general director of the Vietnam Environment Administration and the director of the Legal Affairs Department.

Article 1. Criteria for identifying harmful alien species

1. A known harmful alien species must satisfy the following criteria:

a/ Having grown into a population in Vietnam, currently invading the habitat of or causing harms to indigenous species, being likely to cause or currently causing ecological imbalance in the area where they appear or showing, through tests, harmful potential:

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c/ Having been considered and identified as a harmful alien species by the Scientific Advisory Council established by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

2. A potential harmful alien species must satisfy the following criteria:

a/ Having not yet been introduced into Vietnam or having appeared in Vietnam but not yet grown into a population in nature;

b/ Having, as recorded, caused serious harms in some countries that have ecological conditions similar to Vietnam's:

c/ Having been considered and identified as a potential harmful alien species by the Scientific Advisory Council established by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Article 2. Promulgated together with this Circular is the list of harmful alien species, including:

1. Known harmful alien species;

2. Potential harmful alien species.

Article 3. Implementation provisions and organization of implementation

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2. Annually, the general director of the Vietnam Environment Administration shall organize investigation, identification and assessment of harmful species according to the criteria specified in Article 1 of this Circular, and submit the list of harmful alien species to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment for amendment and supplementation.

3. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies, People's Committees at all levels, the general director of the Vietnam Environment Administration, heads of the units of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and related organizations and individuals shall implement this Circular.-

FOR THE MINISTER OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
DEPUTY MINISTER




Bui Cach Tuyen