China to jail eaters of rare wild animals, shark fins

[webfact]

China to jail eaters of rare wild animals

BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature on Thursday passed an interpretation of the Criminal Law which will put eaters of rare wild animals in jail.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, adopted the interpretation through a vote at its bimonthly session which closed here on Thursday.

Currently, 420 species of wild animals are considered rare or endangered by the Chinese government. They include giant pandas, golden monkeys, Asian black bears and pangolins.

According to the legal document, anyone who eats the animals in this list or buys them for other purposes will be considered to be breaking the Criminal Law and will face a jail term from below five years to more than 10 years, depending on the degree of offending.

Having one of the world's richest wildlife resources, China is home to around 6,500 vertebrate species, about 10 percent of the world's total. More than 470 terrestrial vertebrates are indigenous to China, including giant pandas, golden monkeys, South China tigers and Chinese alligators.

However, the survival of wildlife in the country faces serious challenges from illegal hunting, consumption of wild animal products and a worsening environment.

Some traditional wild animals cuisine such as shark fins, and medicines using wild animal products such as bear bile and tiger bone, have roused increasing concerns.

A series of non-profit advertisements, endorsed by celebrities like retired basketball star Yao Ming, have highlighted the issue with a popular slogan "no trading, no killing."

Full story: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2014-04/24/c_133287821.htm

-- Xinhua 2014-04-30

[HeavyDrinker]

Unless of course they are high ranking Party Members or their friends and family, then go ahead and tuck right in......

[lee b]

Unless of course they are high ranking Party Members or their friends and family, then go ahead and tuck right in......

I agree with you, it is going to be 1 rule for one, and a diffrent rule for the rich and powerful.

[BwindiBoy]

Great news...but it will never be enforced.

[HeavyDrinker]

Great news...but it will never be enforced.

I suppose it's a start at least and it's all too easy to be cynical. That someone in officialdom is recognising there is a serious problem in the consumption of endangered species in China and any legislation may help.

[Costas2008]

Latest news from China:

Wild animals were celebrating the governments decision to jail anybody that eats them.

In response, they assured the media that they will try to copulate more vigorously so they avoid being extinct.

[BwindiBoy]

Great news...but it will never be enforced.

I suppose it's a start at least and it's all too easy to be cynical. That someone in officialdom is recognising there is a serious problem in the consumption of endangered species in China and any legislation may help.

I really hope so but I feel it's going to be such a mindset change that it will take a very strong resolve to get it implemented properly.

[Phoenix1312]

Amen to that

[Choonpon]

The top officials, the rich and powerful ones would probably use $ and power to cover their acts. Those not able to afford the bribes will be the unlucky scapegoats.

[Boo]

deleted a "joke" post & reply to it. Please be sensitive to others.

[Lupatria]

The only way to teach the rhino horn sniffers a lesson would be- free Panda Steaks for all!

[mowgus]

It isn't clear... does this mean it's now illegal to eat shark fin in China?

[Mot Dang]

I have lived in the north pan-handle of the Buriram province for 32 years. When I first went to my wife's village I used to accompany my father-in-law out into the bush/jungle to gather small quantities of herbal drugs. He only took what he needed to make the medicines that he learnt during many years in the monkhood. Between then and now the Chinese traders (coming up from Bangkok and living in the Nong Song Hong area) have wiped it all out. Nothing left. Ripped up, cut down for profit. And no one can do a thing about it.

[RubbaJohnny]

I'm sure they'll still be eating dog,pussy,pangolin and snake which is a good prevention for winter colds we always drank snake blood in October and unlike squeamish American colleagues never had health problems during a Chinese winter.

Rather like LOS such announcements are for the media and the hi-sos with cash can will munch regardless

[hhinhh]

Unless of course they are high ranking Party Members or their friends and family, then go ahead and tuck right in......

I agree with you, it is going to be 1 rule for one, and a diffrent rule for the rich and powerful.

All people are equal and some are more equal

[mok199]

china ,korea and japan..thats why they come to thailand, for the seafood,wait...did you think it was becuase of the hospitality........they wont be happy until the last shrimp is'' on the barby''

[ggt]

Go after the killers and suppliers of these wild animals...

[Benmart]

Great news...but it will never be enforced.

My crystal ball is in the shop, so I will have to wait and see where this goes.

[gamini]

It isn't clear... does this mean it's now illegal to eat shark fin in China?

No. I think the information is wrong. Shark meat is the staple diet of millions of poor coastaL people in South Asia. Shark fins are a bye product . I can't think of them being simply thrown away! They give the shark fishermen a little extra income exporting them to East Asia.

[tubby johnson]

About bloody time ... but better late than never, of course.

[Chao Lao Beach]

I wonder if this will be enforced to the sellers as well ?

[tw25rw]

I don't think it says shark fins are banned.

I was in Hong Kong a couple of years ago. I saw loads of shops selling dried shark fin. I thought they would be a bit more enlightened there.

[Robby nz]

It isn't clear... does this mean it's now illegal to eat shark fin in China?

No. I think the information is wrong. Shark meat is the staple diet of millions of poor coastaL people in South Asia. Shark fins are a bye product . I can't think of them being simply thrown away! They give the shark fishermen a little extra income exporting them to East Asia.

Wrong.

They have in the last few years in NZ brought in a regulation that sharks must not be finned and discarded as was done previously, now they must be landed and counted against quota. The shark meat for most species is of little value and in some cases inedible.

There are other smaller sharks that are caught commercially, usually marketed as flake, often used in fish and chips.

Particularly Chinese and also Japanese surface longline (tuna) boats still cut off the fins of the sharks they catch and in many cases throw the still live sharks back this has been well documented. They wont fill their holds with low value shark meat, leaves no room for the high value target species.

[Chicog]

I will believe it when I see it. I'm not holding my breath.