Under the sudden change of policy, the national wildlife artificial breeding industry has fallen into a confusion.
This industry, which has thousands of years of aquaculture history and some has developed and grown with reform and opening up; this industry, which is mostly spontaneous and encouraged and guided by the government, is suddenly like a kite with a broken line, facing the major problem of "survival or destruction".
"A virus has forced the snake industry to a dead end" "Now it is not fed, nor is it fed." Some snake farmers said. There are also turtle farmers who seem to see hope that "the sun will rise tomorrow".
The industry calls for a clear ban on the consumption of wild animals as soon as possible, and as soon as possible to come up with measures for the disposal of wild animals that are prohibited from being listed and traded, and to compensate farmers.
Indiscriminate consumption of wild game poses a major hidden danger
After the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, preliminary investigations by China's disease control departments and experts have shown that the epidemic is likely to be caused by the transmission of wild animals to humans and human-to-human transmission. The bad habit of a small number of Chinese people to indiscriminately eat wild game poses a major hidden danger to public health security.
After that, multiple departments struck hard. On January 26, the State Forestry and Grassland Administration and other departments issued an announcement deciding to ban wildlife trading from January 26 until the national epidemic is lifted. The National Health Commission issued a work plan to completely ban the trade in wild animals; the Ministry of Public Security issued an emergency notice to severely crack down on illegal and criminal activities involving wild animals; the State Post Bureau demanded that the receipt and delivery of wild animals be strictly prohibited...
Beginning in mid-February, many local people's congresses have issued decisions, opinions, or initiated legislative procedures on prohibiting the consumption of wild animals, including Guangdong Province, Tianjin Municipality, and Fujian Province. Relevant research institutions have also proposed amendments to the Wildlife Protection Law.
On February 21, the Standing Committee of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Congress held a legislative forum to solicit opinions from relevant departments and experts of the Municipal Government on the Regulations on the Comprehensive Prohibition of The Consumption of Wild Animals in the Special Economic Zone (Draft). According to the draft regulations, in order to resolutely eliminate the bad habit of indiscriminately eating wild animals, control major public health risks from the source, and protect the health and life safety of the public, Shenzhen will completely prohibit the consumption of wild animals, and will formulate and promulgate the "Directory of Edible Animals in the Special Zone", and clearly stipulate that no one may eat or organize the consumption of animals and products other than the "List".
The List of Edible Animals of the HKSAR includes pigs, cattle, sheep, donkeys, rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons and quails, which are not prohibited by laws and regulations. In the whole country, Shenzhen was the first to explicitly list 10 edible terrestrial organisms.
Shenzhen also stipulates that the consumption of animals outside the "List" will be fined 500 to 5,000 yuan, and those who organize eating will be fined 5,000 to 50,000 yuan, and illegal producers and operators, in addition to fines, will have their relevant licenses revoked in accordance with the law, and if they constitute a crime, they will be investigated for criminal liability according to law.
The 16th Session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress deliberated and adopted the Decision on Completely Banning illegal wildlife trade, eliminating the bad habit of indiscriminately eating wild animals, and effectively protecting the people's life, health and safety (hereinafter referred to as the "Decision"), which clearly and comprehensively prohibits the consumption of wild animals and severely cracks down on illegal wildlife trade.
Zang Tiewei, spokesman for the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and director of the Research Office, made it clear that the relevant laws should be studied as soon as possible and that all illegal hunting, trading, and consumption of wild animals should be prohibited and severely cracked down on with the strictest legal provisions.
Wildlife farming and trade are in chaos
In the forest public security case database, dozens of cases are listed as "major and important cases" every year. Most of the criminals engaged in the illegal hunting, transportation, and trade of wild animals have formed a black chain of underground trade, and a large number of "wild meat" has finally been put on the table.
Even in the current severe epidemic situation, there are still people who are desperate to take risks. According to the State Administration for Market Regulation on February 24, on January 21, the Market Supervision Bureau of Licheng District of Jinan City, Shandong Province, investigated and dealt with the case of providing trading services for operators to illegally trade wild animals; on January 23, the Market Supervision Bureau of Macheng City, Hubei Province, investigated and dealt with the case of illegal trading of wildlife products; on February 11, the Market Supervision Bureau of Hai'an City, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, investigated and dealt with the case of suspected illegal trade in wild animals...
The practice of indiscriminately eating wild animals is deeply rooted in many places and in the consumption culture and consumption habits of many people. "Some people have the wrong idea of eating wild game to nourish, as well as the concept of hunting consumption and conspicuous consumption." A person in charge of the former State Forestry Administration said that wildlife products are relatively scarce, and its illegal operation and sale of wildlife products have a relatively large profit margin and are driven by economic interests. At the same time, the means of hunting, transportation, and communication are highly technical, the success rate of hunting by criminals is higher, the relative destructive power is relatively large, and the cost of violating the law is lower.
Another key factor is the long-standing perception of the "rational use" of wildlife. This has contributed to the "crazy growth" of the wildlife breeding industry.
According to the "Research Report on the Sustainable Development Strategy of China's Wild Animal Breeding Industry" (2017), at present, there are hundreds of species of wild animals artificially raised and bred in various parts of China, and the breeding industry of turtles and turtles, fur animals, snakes, deer, crocodiles, frogs and so on has formed intensive production.
According to survey estimates, in 2016, there were more than 14.09 million full-time and part-time employees in the national wildlife breeding industry, creating an output value of more than 520.6 billion yuan. Among them, there are about 7.6 million people in the fur animal industry, and the output value of the fur industry is estimated at 389.483 billion yuan; the practitioners of the medicinal animal industry are about 210,800 people, creating an output value of 5.027 billion yuan; the practitioners of the edible animal industry are about 6,263,400 people, creating an output value of 125.054 billion yuan; the practitioners of the ornamental and pet industries are about 13,700 people, creating an output value of 652 million yuan; and the direct practitioners of the experimental primate industry are about 2,000 people, creating an output value of 400 million yuan.
According to incomplete statistics, in 2016, China's ornamental zoo tourism industry was 9.189 billion yuan. In 2016, the zoo's income was 6.518 billion yuan. The tourist consumption income of the Wildlife Conservation and Breeding Center was 404 million yuan. The income of the nature reserve is 267 million yuan.
China's wildlife products processing industry is huge, especially the world's largest fur products processing and manufacturing countries, 75% to 80% of the world's fur raw materials and skin products in China's tanning printing and dyeing processing, the world's 80% to 85% of fur clothing and clothing products in China processing and manufacturing.
The scale of China's wild animal consumption industry is also huge. There are many species of wild animals for the purpose of food breeding, including turtles and turtles, baby fish (giant salamanders), frogs, crocodiles, civets, snakes, pheasants, geese and ducks. Among them, the larger ones are turtles and turtles, frogs, giant salamanders, crocodiles, snakes and so on.
It is estimated that in 2016, there were about 6.2634 million direct employees in China's edible animal industry, with a total output value of 125.054 billion yuan. Among them, there are 1.017 million employees in amphibian and reptile aquaculture, with an annual output value of 50.648 billion yuan. There are 5,011,300 employees in reptile breeding, and the annual output value is 64.322 billion yuan. There are 147,300 employees in bird farming, and the annual output value is 7.656 billion yuan. There are 87,700 employees in animal breeding, and the annual output value is 2.428 billion yuan.
According to incomplete statistics, the annual output of commercial turtles in the country is about 350,000 tons, with an annual output value of 50 billion to 60 billion yuan, plus the upstream and downstream industrial chains such as seed, sales and circulation, deep processing, feed, etc., with an annual output value of more than 100 billion yuan and millions of industrial employees.
The relevant catalogue measures will be promulgated as soon as possible
The Decision makes it clear that where the Wildlife Protection Law and other relevant laws prohibit the hunting, trading, transport or consumption of wild animals, it must be strictly prohibited. It is completely prohibited to eat "terrestrial wild animals with important ecological, scientific and social value" protected by the state and other terrestrial wild animals, including artificially bred and artificially raised terrestrial wild animals.
Subsequently, the State Forestry and Grassland Administration issued seven measures to implement the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Four of these "big moves" have triggered a "giant earthquake" in the wildlife breeding industry.
For those who have obtained an artificial breeding permit and engaged in artificial breeding of terrestrial wild animals for the purpose of consumption, the artificial breeding permit or document issued must be withdrawn and cancelled, and all activities such as the sale and transportation of wild animals for the purpose of consumption shall be stopped;
Where artificially bred species of an institution are included in the Catalogue of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources, and the competent departments of forestry and grassland have issued artificial breeding permits or documents, the permits or documents issued shall be withdrawn and cancelled, and the provisions of the Animal Husbandry Law shall apply to the management of artificial breeding populations;
Where artificial breeding species of practitioners are included in the Directory of Aquatic Wild Animals under National Key Protection or the Directory of Economic Aquatic Animal and Plant Resources under National Key Protection, and where the competent departments for forestry and grassland have issued artificial breeding permits or documents, the permits or documents issued shall also be withdrawn and cancelled, and the aquatic wildlife shall be managed in the future;
For institutions engaged in the management and utilization of wild animals for the purpose of consumption, all licenses and documents for the management and utilization of wild animals for the purpose of consumption shall be withdrawn and cancelled or declared invalid, and all activities of operating and utilizing terrestrial wild animals for the purpose of consumption shall be stopped.
The State Forestry and Grassland Administration has made it clear that institutions that illegally engage in artificial breeding, management and utilization of wild animals shall be given heavier punishments in accordance with law; all applications for activities such as hunting and operating wild animals for the purpose of consumption shall be stopped, and the examination and approval of non-edible use of wild animals shall be strictly regulated.
After the four "big moves" were released, the problem came again. Which wild animals should be banned? What should not be banned? When should it be banned? What should be done with wild animals that are not allowed to be listed for trading?
"Yesterday, I couldn't bear to feed it again." There are snake breeding professional households said. This shows that it has become very urgent for the relevant departments to respond to the above questions and solve the thorny problems faced by farmers. At the press conference on the work of resolutely banning and severely cracking down on illegal wildlife markets and trade held by the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council on February 27, Han Xu, deputy director of the Fisheries and Fisheries Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said that he was consulting with the State Forestry and Grassland Administration to adjust and improve the relevant catalogues and supporting regulations to further clarify the scope of fasting. Before the new catalogue is introduced, species that have been listed in the Catalogue of Economic Aquatic Animal and Plant Resources under National Key Protection or the Catalogue of Aquatic Wild Animals under Artificial Breeding under National Key Protection will be clarified as soon as possible in the form of documents. The Chronicle of China's Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources has been compiled and the Catalogue of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources has been drafted and formulated. In accordance with the new requirements of the "Decision," we are further strengthening communication and coordination, and strive to report to the State Council for approval as soon as possible and then publish it.
Chang Jiwen, deputy director of the Institute of Resources and Environmental Policy of the Development Research Center of the State Council, said in an interview with the first financial reporter that after the introduction of the "Decision", a large number of wild animals cannot be eaten, sold or killed by farmers. Continued farming is illegal and costly. Some wild animals are legal to breed artificially, with artificial breeding permits, but now the situation has changed.
For wild animals that are prohibited from being traded and eaten, Chang Jiwen recommends a variety of ways to solve them. For example, state acquisitions. If the state does not acquire, it should be compensated; for example, the zoo collects a part. There is also a part that could be considered for scientific research. Part of it can be considered to release on the basis of scientific assessment and supplement the use of species. In addition, China can donate baby fish, wild ducks, forest frogs, turtles and snakes raised by farmers to countries that need ecological restoration and species restoration.
"From the current point of view, the main people affected are some wild boar, tiger frog, snake, wild duck, crocodile, forest frog farmers." Chang Jiwen said that no matter how it is disposed of, it should minimize the loss of farmers and protect wild animal and plant resources.
He said that the "Decision" has made it clear that the State Council and local governments should take necessary measures to provide corresponding guarantees for the implementation of this Decision. Relevant local people's governments shall support, guide, and help affected peasant households to adjust and transform their production and operation activities, and give certain compensation according to actual conditions. Chang Jiwen suggested that the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, the Ministry of Public Security, the State Administration of Market Regulation and other departments jointly issue a document on the issue of compensation as soon as possible.