In the past few days, a local "Request for Instructions on Requesting the Inclusion of Some Artificially Bred Terrestrial Wild Animals in the Relevant National Catalogue Management" (hereinafter referred to as the "Request for Instructions") has been disseminated in multiple WeChat groups, and has quickly aroused doubts from people in the protection community.
According to local environmentalists, "Since March 6, the 'Request' has been solicited by various departments for comments and is ready to be reported to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the State Forestry and Grassland Administration." ”
The "Instructions" said that ×× is a major province of wildlife resources. At the same time, the artificial breeding industry of wild animals is an important characteristic breeding industry, and it is also one of the important industries for precise poverty alleviation in forestry. According to statistics, there are 4,424 artificial breeding units or individuals for wild animals in ×× Province, with a fixed asset investment of 5.638 billion yuan and an annual output value of 6.279 billion yuan; 1,641 wildlife management and utilization units, with an annual output value of 8.06 billion yuan and more than 120,000 industry employees.
The "Request for Instructions" requests that some animal and bird and wildlife species with mature and stable artificial breeding technology be included in the "Inventory of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources" and managed in accordance with the provisions of the Animal Husbandry Law and other relevant laws and regulations. These include the green-headed duck, spot-billed duck, blue peacock, ring-necked pheasant (colorful pheasant), ostrich, goose, sika deer, hybrid wild boar, civet, bamboo rat, porcupine and so on.
The first financial reporter noted that this "Request for Instructions", which is only more than 1300 words, mentions "civets" in three places.
"I also want to include civets in the range of artificially farmed wild animals that are allowed to be eaten, and I really don't know what they think." An animal protection community source said.
The above-mentioned environmentalists also found that the "Request for Instructions" showed that there were "1641 wildlife management and utilization units". On the same day, the data publicly reported by the local media showed that there were 2836 artificial breeding units for wild animals and 822 units for operation and utilization. "There's a lot more data being reported. Which data is real? ”
On the morning of the 8th, an official of the local forestry department told the first financial reporter on the phone that the current data has not yet come out, and it is estimated that there will be results next Tuesday.
A local "Request for Requesting the Inclusion of Some Artificially Bred Terrestrial Wild Animals in the Relevant National Catalogue Management" (screenshots of some contents)
Civets, whose scientific name is the flower-faced beaver, are carnivores of the genus Civet family and the Civet family. As an intermediate host of sars virus, although civets do not carry sars viruses themselves, they are omnivorous animals and have a wide range of activities, and when they come into contact with other wild animals, they will be contaminated with some viruses. Studies have found that wild civets have parasites such as rabies virus, trichinella, and silanoma.
On May 23, 2003, the Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the University of Hong Kong announced that the SARS virus that researchers found in wild civets was exactly the same as what was found in humans. In order to prevent people from eating civet meat, which leads to infection with sars virus, Hong Kong immediately banned civets from entering the country. Subsequently, Guangdong, Shanghai and other places also banned the trade of civets in the market.
In August 2003, the former State Forestry Administration issued a relevant notice announcing a list of 54 species of terrestrial wild animals, including sika deer, which are commercially operated and mature in domestication and breeding technology, and civets are among them. The circular said that after being submitted by the competent forestry administrative departments of various provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government, and after the organization of experts to demonstrate and review, the commercial operation of 54 species of terrestrial wild animals such as sika deer has matured domestication and breeding technology, and can engage in commercial use of domestication and breeding and operation.
On October 15 of that year, after SARS, the relevant departments of Guangdong Province announced that civet operators can operate civets as long as they hold a business license, relevant inspection and quarantine certificates and "Guangdong Province Land Wild Animals and Their Product Sales Certificates", and receive the "Guangdong Province Land Wild Animals Business Certificate" issued by the wildlife protection station to which they belong.
After the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the Shanshui Nature Conservation Center, led by Professor Lu Zhi of the School of Life Sciences of Peking University, listed six species of wild animals that are harmful to public safety, and the first one is the civet. The rest are the black-browed akebode, the tiger frog, the Himalayan marmot, the pangolin, and the Chinese chrysanthemum bat.
On February 27, the State Forestry and Grassland Administration announced a comprehensive rectification of the artificial breeding and management and utilization of wild animals. Where it is required to engage in artificial breeding of terrestrial wild animals for the purpose of consumption, the artificial breeding permits or documents 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.
List of terrestrial wild animals that are commercially operated using domestication and breeding techniques. Source: Former State Forestry Administration