There is much evidence that the corona virus has spread from a wild market in China. Traders, poachers and restaurants that are part of Chinese wildlife trade are now all targets for new efforts after the introduction of a new temporary law in February. It prohibits all consumption of game meat in China.

Several state-of-the-art examples have been reported in state media. A woman in Jiangsu Province was caught selling snake meat. When local authorities controlled her business, they found the protected species of Taiwanese stink. The store was closed and the case was brought to court.

Big rural industry

Elsewhere, state media reports on how police have discovered stockpiles of wild goose and revealed two men with pheasants in a cash register. There are also several reports of major efforts against trade. In the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia, raids have been carried out where a total of 800 wild animals have been seized. The authorities have also taken action against Internet-based merchants.

The trade in wildlife in China is large. The industry around fur, meat and other products from wild animals has a turnover of approximately SEK 741 billion per year, according to an estimate from the Chinese Academy of Engineering 2016. But the actors are often small businesses and people in the countryside. The industry employs a full 14 million people.