In the legal field, there is a case involving the illegal trade in wild animals, highlighting the fight against and prevention of crimes against precious and endangered wild animals in the country, and the court's handling of the issue.
The story takes place in the core area of Giant Panda National Park, Pingwu County, which is known as "the first county of giant pandas in the world". However, in this beautiful land, a criminal case has emerged involving the illegal trade of the national second-class protected wild animal red panda and the first-class protected wild animal Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey. The key suspects in the case include Li Mouhua, Li Mouqiu, Ma Moucao, Liu Moujia, Long Moujun and others.
Since 2019, the suspect Li Mouhua has repeatedly contacted Long Moujun and conspired to capture wild red pandas live, with the purpose of selling these cute wild animals. Over the next year, the suspect Long Huajun sold 15 red pandas alive to Li Mouhua and his son Li Mouqiu, from which he illegally made a profit of 290,000 yuan. Then, in another incident, Long Moujun purchased 4 wild red pandas from Gao Moulin, of which 1 had a defective red panda and was released and the other 3 were transported to Luding County, Sichuan Province. In Luding County, Li Mouhua and Liu Mouyi purchased the three red pandas, but they were seized by the public security authorities on the way back.
In addition, Li Mouhua and his son also bought 18 live golden monkeys from Ma Moucao in Pingwu County, Sichuan Province, 13 of which were sold to zoo operators, making an illegal profit of 560,000 yuan.
After trial, the court found that these acts constituted crimes against precious and endangered wildlife. Li Mouhua's father and son were sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment, while Ma Moucao was also sentenced. The remaining defendants were also sentenced to criminal penalties and fined.
This case underscores the Chinese legal system's commitment to protecting precious and endangered wildlife and cracking down on the illegal wildlife trade. It also conveys an important message that the law is to protect natural ecosystems and stop the continued development of wildlife crime to ensure that the country's natural resources are protected and preserved. This story reminds us that the treasures of nature should not be used as tools for private gain, but should be protected by law so that they can be passed on to future generations.
From a legal point of view
The above cases involve criminal acts in violation of the Wildlife Protection Law and related laws and regulations. Here is my perspective from a legal perspective:
- Compliance with the Wildlife Protection Law: China's Wildlife Protection Law aims to protect endangered and precious wildlife. These laws set out rules for the protection, breeding, trade and use of wild animals. In the above case, the defendant clearly violated these provisions by illegally catching, trading, transporting and selling wildlife under Class I and Class II protection. Such actions are not only contrary to the law, but also pose a threat to ecosystems and species survival.
- Heavy penalties for illegal trade: The court issued harsh sentences, including prison terms and fines, as a warning for the case. This approach is to combat and curb the illegal wildlife trade, and to prevent more people from engaging in this behavior that harms the ecological environment and wildlife through penalties.
- Civil Public Interest Litigation: The case also mentions an incidental civil public interest lawsuit requiring the defendant to pay public interest damages. This practice is intended to compensate society and the environment harmed by their criminal acts. This concept is increasingly valued in China's legal system, which goes beyond traditional criminal sanctions and aims to repair environmental and social damage.
- Crime prevention: The court issued "prohibition orders" prohibiting some defendants from engaging in all business activities related to wild animals. Such measures embody the preventive nature of the legal system, protecting wildlife and the integrity of natural ecosystems by prohibiting these people from engaging in harmful activities again.
Taken together, this case underscores the Chinese government's commitment to protecting wildlife and natural ecosystems, as well as its strong determination to combat the illegal wildlife trade. The development and enforcement of laws play a vital role in ensuring that precious wildlife is not subject to indiscriminate hunting and illegal trade. This protection also reflects respect and cherishing of the country's natural heritage.