On April 8, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs published the "National Catalogue of Animal Genetic Resources (Draft for Comments)" (referred to as the "Catalogue") on its official website and publicly solicited opinions from the society. Surging News (www.thepaper.cn) noted The "Catalogue" includes 31 species of domestic and traditional livestock and poultry, and the animals listed in the "Catalogue" are managed according to livestock and poultry, and can be used for commercial purposes such as food.
Screenshot of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs website
The "Catalogue" solicits opinions for one month, and the feedback of the comments ends on May 8, 2020.
"Catalogue" includes a total of 31 species of domestic and traditional livestock and poultry, including 18 species of traditional livestock and poultry, including pigs, ordinary cattle, zebu, buffalo, yak, large cattle, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys , Camels, rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, pigeons, quails, etc .; 13 species of special livestock including sika deer, red deer, reindeer, alpaca, guinea fowl, pheasant, partridge, mallard, ostrich , Mink, silver fox, blue fox, raccoon dog, etc.
In response to whether the dogs with high attention have been listed in the "Catalogue", the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs responded in the explanation that with the progress of human civilization and the public's concern and preference for animal protection, dogs have been "specialized" from traditional livestock to companion animals. In the international community, it is generally not regarded as livestock and poultry, and China should not be included in the management of livestock and poultry.
After the outbreak of the New Coronary Pneumonia, the Standing Committee of the National People ’s Congress promulgated the “Decision on the Comprehensive Prohibition of Illegal Wildlife Trade, the Elimination of the Abuse of Wild Animals, and the Effective Protection of People ’s Health and Safety” (hereinafter referred to as the “Decision”) It is forbidden to eat "land-based wild animals with important ecological, scientific, and social values" and other land-based wild animals protected by the state, including artificially-bred and artificially-raised land-based wild animals. Animals included in the livestock and poultry genetic resources list are livestock and poultry, and the provisions of the Animal Husbandry Law apply.
After the "Decision" was issued, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas accelerated the formulation of the "Catalogue" on the basis of two nationwide surveys of livestock genetic resources and the identification of genetic resources, and solicited 36 central departments, 31 provincial-level people's governments and The opinions of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps convened a special symposium to listen to the opinions of experts and scholars from relevant scientific research institutes, colleges and universities, industry, etc., and constantly revised and improved it to form the "Catalog."
In the process of formulating the "Catalogue", based on China's livestock and poultry farming practices, strictly grasp the four principles: adhere to science, the livestock and poultry listed in the "Catalogue" must undergo long-term artificial breeding and domestication, and have stable artificial selection of economic traits; highlight safety, Give priority to ensuring food safety, public health safety, and ecological safety; respect national customs, consider the production and living needs of multi-ethnic people and traditional culture, and other factors; integrate with international standards, and refer to international common practices and international practices.
For special livestock and poultry, the "Catalogue" states that sika deer have a long breeding history and have formed a perfect industrial system; red deer have traditional feeding habits in western minority areas such as Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia; reindeer, mainly Distributed in Genhe City, Inner Mongolia and its surrounding areas, it is an important means of production and living of the Ewenki nationality; alpaca, for introducing breeds, has a long domestication history and various uses; guinea fowl, pheasant, partridge, mallard, ostrich (including African ostrich, American ostrich, Australian ostrich (emu)), etc., are mostly imported from abroad, and the breeding technology is mature; fur animals such as mink, silver fox, blue fox, raccoon dog, etc., China has cultivated suitable domestic breeds, mainly for Fur processing and product export, non-edible.
Shi Kun, director of the Wildlife Research Institute of Beijing Forestry University, said in an interview with Peng Pao News that the "Decision" clarified that the animals included in the livestock genetic resources list belong to livestock and poultry, and the provisions of the "Livestock Law" apply. This shows that “artificially-bred animals can be used in the direction prescribed by them as long as they are included in the catalog of livestock and poultry genetic resources formulated and published by the administrative department of animal husbandry and veterinary of the State Council. Those listed as edible are allowed to be eaten.”
For terrestrial animals, the animal husbandry and veterinary administrative department of the State Council, according to the law and published in the "Catalogue of Genetic Resources of Animals and Poultry" listed in the allowed animal species, its artificial breeding population is allowed to eat, but its wild population and All other terrestrial wild animals outside the catalog are prohibited.
Surging News Reporter Diao Fanchao Intern Feng Jianyue