On the 22nd of September 2021, the Vietnamese government issued a new decree, amending an existing decree and effectively improving the legal protection of some native species, including two turtle species.
The new Decree 84/2021/ND-CP amends and supplements some articles of the government’s Decree 06/2019/ND-CP (dated the 22nd January 2019) on the management of endangered, precious and rare species of forest fauna and flora and enforcement of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora). The new decree shall take effect from 30th November 2021.
Compared to Decree 06/2019/ND-CP, two species: Cuora cyclornata (Cuora trifasciata) and Cuora galbinifrons have been upgraded to Group IB in the new decree, Decree 84/2021/ND-CP.
Details of the turtle species in Group IB and IIB can be seen in the list below.
Group IB
| No | Common Name | Vietnamese Name | Scientific Name |
| 1 | Southern River Terrapin | Rùa ba-ta-gua miền nam | Batagur affinis(1) |
| 2 | Bourret’s Box Turtle | Rùa hộp trán vàng miền trung (Rùa hộp bua-rê) | Cuora bourreti |
| 3 | Vietnamese Three-striped Box Turtle | Rùa hộp ba vạch (Rùa vàng) | Cuora cyclornata (Cuora trifasciata)(2) |
| 4 | Indochinese Box Turtle | Rùa hộp trán vàng miền bắc | Cuora galbinifrons(2) |
| 5 | Southern Vietnam Box Turtle | Rùa hộp trán vàng miền nam (Rùa hộp việt nam) | Cuora picturata |
| 6 | Vietnamese Pond Turtle | Rùa trung bộ | Mauremys annamensis |
| 7 | Big-Headed Turtle | Rùa đầu to | Platysternon megacephalum |
| 8 | Cantor’s Giant Softshell Turtle | Giải | Pelochelys cantorii |
| 9 | Swinhoe’s Softshell Turtle | Giải sin-hoe | Rafetus swinhoei |
Group IIB
| No | Common Name | Vietnamese Name | Scientific Name |
| 10 | Southeast Asian Softshell Turtle | Cua đinh (Ba ba nam bộ) | Amyda cartilaginea (Amyda ornata) |
| 11 | Wattle-necked Softshell Turtle | Ba ba gai | Palea steindachneri |
| 12 | Malayan Box Turtle | Rùa hộp lưng đen | Cuora amboinensis |
| 13 | Keeled Box Turtle | Rùa sa nhân | Cuora mouhotii |
| 14 | Asian Leaf Turtle | Rùa đất châu á | Cyclemys dentata(1) |
| 15 | Southern Asian Leaf Turtle | Rùa đất sê-pôn | Cyclemys oldhami |
| 16 | Eastern Black-bridged Leaf Turtle | Rùa đất pul-kin | Cyclemys pulchristriata |
| 17 | Black-breasted Leaf Turtle | Rùa đất speng-le-ri | Geoemyda spengleri |
| 18 | Yellow-headed Temple Turtle | Rùa răng | Heosemys annandalii |
| 19 | Giant Asian Pond Turtle | Rùa đất lớn | Heosemys grandis |
| 20 | Elongated Tortoise | Rùa núi vàng | Indotestudo elongata |
| 21 | Mekong Snail-eating Turtle | Rùa ba gờ | Malayemys subtrijuga |
| 22 | Impressed Tortoise | Rùa núi viền | Manouria impressa |
| 23 | Yellow Pond Turtle | Rùa câm | Mauremys mutica |
| 24 | Red-necked Pond Turtle | Rùa đầm cổ đỏ | Mauremys nigricans(1) |
| 25 | Four-eyed Turtle | Rùa bốn mắt | Sacalia quadriocellata |
| 26 | Black Marsh Turtle | Rùa cổ bự | Siebenrockiella crassicollis |
- Like in Decree 06/2019/ND-CP, three species which are unconfirmed in the wild in Vietnam, Batagur affinis, Mauremys nigricans and Cyclemys dentata, are listed in the new Decree.
- Cuora cyclornata (Cuora trifasciata) and Cuora galbinifrons have been upgraded to Group IB
- The new decree does not cover some native species: Mauremys sinensis, Pelodiscus variegatus, Cyclemys atripons
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