The national wild animal breeding industry is facing a major question of "survival or destruction". The industry calls for a clear ban on the consumption of wild animals as soon as possible, and as soon as possible come up with wild animal disposal measures that are prohibited from being listed and traded and compensation methods for farmers.

Under the sudden change of policy, the national wild animal breeding industry is in a state of confusion.

This industry, which has a history of thousands of years of breeding, has grown with the reform and opening up; this industry, which is mostly spontaneous and encouraged and guided by the government, suddenly looks like a kite with a broken line and is facing "survival or destruction" This major issue.

"A virus is driving the snake farming industry to a dead end." "Now it's not possible to feed, nor is it not to feed," said some snake farmers. Some turtle farmers seem to have seen hope, "Tomorrow's sun will rise."

The industry calls for a clear ban on the consumption of wild animals as soon as possible, and as soon as possible come up with wild animal disposal measures that are prohibited from being listed and traded and compensation methods for farmers.

Overeating wild game poses a major hidden danger

After the new crown pneumonia outbreak, preliminary investigation and research by Chinese disease control departments and experts showed that the outbreak is likely to be caused by wild animals and transmitted to humans. The bad habits of a few people who eat wild game constitute a major hidden danger to public health and safety.

After that, many departments hit hard. On January 26, the National Forestry and Grass Bureau and other departments issued announcements deciding to ban wild animal trading activities from January 26 to the end of the national epidemic. The National Health and Health Commission issued a work plan to comprehensively ban wildlife trading; the Ministry of Public Security issued an emergency notice to severely crack down on illegal and criminal activities involving wildlife; the State Post Office requires that wild animals be prohibited from being sent and received ...

Beginning in mid-February, many people's congresses issued decisions or opinions on the prohibition of eating wild animals, or started legislative procedures, including Guangdong Province, Tianjin City, and Fujian Province. Related 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 symposium to solicit opinions from relevant government departments and experts on the "Regulations on the Comprehensive Ban on Wild Animals in the Special Zone (Draft)". According to the bill, in order to resolutely eliminate the bad habits of overeating wild animals, control major public health risks from the source, and protect public health and life safety, Shenzhen will completely ban wild animals and will formulate and promulgate the "Special List of Edible Animals in the Special Zone, It is also clearly stipulated that no one shall consume or organize the consumption of animals and products other than those on the List.

The "Special List of Edible Animals in the Special Zone" includes artificially raised terrestrial animals such as pigs, cattle, sheep, donkeys, rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons, and quails; aquatic animals that are not prohibited by law or regulations. Nationally, Shenzhen was the first company to explicitly list 10 edible terrestrial organisms.

Shenzhen also stipulates that consumption of animals other than the "List" will be punished by a fine of 500 to 5000 yuan. Organizers will be fined 5,000 to 50,000 yuan. In addition to fines, illegal licenses will be revoked in accordance with the law. Anyone who commits a crime shall be investigated for criminal responsibility according to law.

The 16th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress considered and passed the "Decision on Comprehensively Banning the Trade in Illegal Wildlife, Eliminating the Bad Habits of Wild Animals, and Effectively Safeguarding the Life and Health of the People" (hereinafter referred to as the "Decision"). It is forbidden to eat wild animals and severely crack down on illegal wildlife trade.

Zang Tiewei, spokesman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and director of the research department, stated clearly that the relevant laws should be studied as soon as possible, and all the acts of illegal killing, trading, and eating wild animals should be prohibited and severely cracked down with the strictest legal provisions.

Wild animal breeding and trading chaos

There are dozens of cases listed as "big and important cases" in the forest police's case library. Criminals engaged in illegal hunting, transportation, and trading of wild animals have mostly formed black chains for underground trading, and a large number of "games" have finally been put on the dining table.

Even in the current severe epidemic situation, people are still in danger. According to the report of the State Administration of Market Supervision on February 24, on January 21, the Market Supervision Bureau of Licheng District, 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 Macheng Market Supervision Bureau of Hubei Province Investigated and dealt with the case of illegally traded wildlife products; On February 11, the Hai'an Market Supervision Bureau of Nantong City, Jiangsu Province investigated and dealt with the case of illegally traded wildlife ...

The bad habits of overeating wild animals have become ingrained in many places and the consumption culture and habits of many people. "Some people hold the wrong idea of ​​eating game tonic, as well as bizarre consumption and conspicuous consumption concepts." A former person in charge of the former State Forestry Administration said that wildlife products are relatively scarce. The profit margins of illegally operating and selling wild animal products are relatively large, and they have a driving force in economic interests. At the same time, hunting, transportation, and communication methods have become more technologically advanced. The success rate of hunting by criminals is higher, the relative destructive power is greater, and the cost of breaking the law is lower.

Another key factor is that the concept of "reasonable use" of wild animals has long prevailed. This promotes the "crazy growth" of the wild animal farming industry.

"China's Wild Animal Breeding Industry Sustainable Development Strategy Research Report" (2017) introduced that at present, there are hundreds of species of captive-bred wild animals in China, turtles, fur animals, snakes, deer, crocodiles Species, frogs and other aquaculture industries have formed intensive production.

According to survey estimates, in 2016, there were more than 14.09 million full-time and part-time practitioners in the wild animal breeding industry across the country, 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 an estimated output value of 389.483 billion yuan in the fur industry; about 21,800 people in the medicinal animal industry, creating a value of 5.027 billion yuan; about 6.263 million people in the food animal industry The output value is 125.054 billion yuan; the number of practitioners in the ornamental and pet industries is about 13,700, creating a production value of 652 million yuan; the experimental primate industry directly employs 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. The zoo's revenue in 2016 was 6.518 billion yuan. Visitors' income from wildlife protection and breeding centers was 404 million yuan. The income of nature reserves was 267 million yuan.

The scale of China's wild animal product processing industry is huge, especially the world's largest fur product processing and manufacturing country. 75% to 80% of the world's fur raw leather products are tanned in China, and 80% to 85% of the world's fur clothing and apparel products Manufacturing in China.

The scale of China's edible wild animal industry is also huge. There are many types of wild animals for food purposes, including turtles, baby fishes (big tadpoles), frogs, crocodiles, civets, snakes, pheasants, and ducks. Among the larger ones are turtles, frogs, giant salamanders, crocodiles, snakes, etc.

According to estimates, in 2016 China's food animal industry directly employed about 6.263 million people, with a total output value of 125.054 billion yuan. Among them, there are 1.017 million amphibious and reptile breeding employees with an annual output value of 50.648 billion yuan. There are 5.011 million reptile breeding employees with an annual output value of 64.322 billion yuan. There are 147,300 employees in bird breeding, with an annual output value of 7.656 billion yuan. There are 87,700 employees in animal breeding, with an annual output value of 2.428 billion yuan.

According to incomplete statistics, the annual national output of commercial soft-shelled turtles is about 350,000 tons, with an annual output value of 50 billion to 60 billion yuan. In addition to the upstream and downstream industrial chains such as seed, sales and circulation, deep processing, and feed, the annual output value exceeds 100 billion yuan. Millions of employees.

Relevant catalog methods will be released as soon as possible

The "Decision" clearly states that the "Wildlife Protection Law" and other relevant laws prohibit hunting, trading, transportation, and consumption of wild animals must be strictly prohibited. It is forbidden to eat "terrestrial wildlife of important ecological, scientific and social value" and other terrestrial wildlife protected by the state, including terrestrial wildlife of artificial breeding and breeding.

Subsequently, the State Forestry and Grassland Bureau issued seven measures to implement the decisions of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Four of these "big tricks" have caused "shocks" in the wild animal farming industry.

For those who have obtained an artificial breeding license and engage in the artificial breeding of terrestrial wild animals for the purpose of food, they must withdraw and cancel the issued artificial breeding permit or document, and all activities such as selling and transporting wild animals for food purposes shall be stopped;

If the artificial breeding types of the employment agencies are listed in the Catalog of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources, and the forestry and grassland authorities have issued artificial breeding permits or instruments, they must all withdraw and cancel the issued permits or instruments, and their artificial breeding population management is applicable The provisions of the Animal Husbandry Law;

The artificial breeding categories of the employment agencies are included in the "National Catalogue of National Key Protected Aquatic Wildlife for Artificial Breeding" or "National Catalogue of Key Aquatic and Aquatic Plant Resources for Key Protection", and the competent forestry and grassland authorities have issued artificial breeding permits or instruments, which will also be withdrawn. And cancel the issued permits or documents and manage them in the future as aquatic wildlife;

Institutions engaged in the operation and utilization of wildlife for food purposes shall have their permits and documents obtained for the purpose of operation and use of food for animal purposes shall be revoked and cancelled or declared invalid, and all activities involving the operation and use of terrestrial wildlife for food purposes shall be stopped.

The State Forestry and Grass Bureau has clearly stated that organizations that engage in artificial breeding, operation and utilization of wild animals in violation of the law shall be punished in accordance with the law; all applications for hunting, hunting, and operating wild animals for the purpose of eating shall be halted, and wild use of non-edible wild animals shall be strictly regulated. Approval of animal activities.

After the release of the four "big tricks", the problem came again. Which wildlife should be banned? Which should not be banned? When should it be banned? What about wild animals that are not allowed to be traded?

"Yesterday, I didn't have the heart to feed again." A professional snake farmer said. This shows that it has become very urgent for the relevant departments to respond to the above questions and solve the intractable problems faced by farmers. At the press conference on the resolute ban and severe crackdown on illegal wildlife markets and trade held on February 27 by the State Council ’s joint prevention and control mechanism, Han Xu, deputy director of the Fisheries and Fisheries Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said that he was consulting with the National Forestry and Grass Bureau. , Adjust and improve the relevant catalogue and supporting regulations, and further clarify the scope of fasting. Prior to the introduction of the new catalogue, the species that have been listed in the “National Catalogue of Key Aquatic and Aquatic Plant Resources for Key Protection” or “National Catalogue of Key Breeding Aquatic Animals for Artificial Breeding” will be identified as soon as possible through documents. The “Journal of Animal and Poultry Genetic Resources in China” has been compiled and the “Catalogue of Animal and Poultry Genetic Resources” has been drafted. In accordance with the new requirements of the "Decision", communication and coordination are being further strengthened, and it will be announced as soon as possible after being approved by the State Council.

Chang Jiwen, deputy director of the Institute of Resources and Environmental Policy Research of the Development Research Center of the State Council, said in an interview with First Financial News that after the "Decision" was promulgated, a large number of wild animals could not be eaten, sold, or killed. Continued farming is illegal and costly. Some artificial breeding of wild animals is legal and has a permit for artificial breeding, but the situation has changed.

For wildlife that is banned from trading and eating, Chang Jiwen suggests adopting multiple approaches to solve it. Such as state acquisitions. If the state does not buy, compensation should be given; another example is a zoo to collect part of it. Another part can be considered for scientific research. One part can be considered to be released on the basis of scientific assessment and supplement the species. In addition, China can donate baby fish, wild ducks, forest frogs, turtles, and snakes raised by farmers to countries in need of ecological restoration and species restoration.

"From the current point of view, the most affected are the farmers of wild boars, tiger frogs, snakes, wild ducks, crocodiles, and wood frogs." Chang Jiwen said that no matter how to deal with, the losses and protection of farmers should be minimized. 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 should support, guide and help the affected farmers to adjust and change their production and operation activities, and provide certain compensation according to the actual situation. Chang Jiwen suggested that on the issue of compensation, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the National Forestry and Grass Bureau, the Ministry of Public Security, and the General Administration of Market Supervision and other departments should jointly issue a document as soon as possible.

Zhang Ye