A report on the results of a study carried out in 2002 into the status of the trade in marine turtle products in Vietnam. The study was commissioned to assist the Vietnam government in the formulation of a National Action Plan on marine turtles. It was conducted by foreign and Vietnamese personnel, and covered over 30 locations in 19 provinces. Most interviewees were craftsmen, retailers and middlemen involved in the trade. The report illustrates the extent of the illegal trade throughout Vietnam and highlights the need for effective and immediate enforcement of both national legislation and international conventions to which Vietnam is a signatory and which are designed to protect marine turtles.