Violators of regulations on forest and forest product protection may be fined up to VND 30 million if their acts damage endangered, rare or precious animal species of group IIB.
Fines and administrative sanctions are prescribed in Government Decree No. 159/2007/ND-CP of October 30, on sanctioning of administrative violations in the domain of forest management and protection and forest product management.
Persons committing acts violating the State’s general regulations on forest protection such as carrying tools into forests to illegally hunt wild animals or exploit forest products; bringing into forests inflammable and explosive materials; organizing tours into forests for illegal scientific research, etc., will be fined between VND 100,000 and 1 million.
Violations of regulations on timber exploitation are liable to fines of between VND 1 million and 10 million. Acts of illegal deforestation for terraced fields will be fined at a level of between VND 1,000 and 5,000 per cubic meter depending on types of destroyed forest. Forest destroyers will face fines of up to VND 10,000 per square meter and be forced to reforest or pay expenses for reforestation.
Acts of illegally exploiting timber from trees of endangered, rare and precious species of groups I, II and III are subject to fines of up to VND 3.5 million per cubic meter. If illegally exploited timber is from protective forests, the applicable fine level is VND 4.5 million per cubic meter.
Forest protection officers on duty may impose cautions or fines of up to VND 100,000. Heads of forest protection stations may impose cautions or fines of up to VND 2 million or confiscate exhibits and means employed in administrative violations and valued up to VND 10 million. Directors of forest protection departments may impose cautions or fines of up to VND 30 million.
All forest protection officers are empowered to conduct bodily search of suspected violators or hold them in custody according to authorized procedures, as well as search means of transport and temporarily seize exhibits and means employed in violations.-