Behind the Internet celebrity BBQ Great White Shark: How many e-commerce platforms are illegally selling "game"?

　　China News Service, August 4th (Zhongxin Finance and Economics reporter Wu Tao) Recently, the "Internet celebrity live broadcast of the BBQ Great White Shark" continued to cause heated discussions. It is reported that the great white shark came from online shopping.

The reporter noticed that although the "Great White Shark" cannot be searched on the e-commerce platform, many e-commerce platforms are suspected of illegally selling "game", live salamanders, crocodiles, etc., and even cobras.

Who the hell is selling great white sharks?

　　In the live broadcast, as for the source of the great white shark, the Internet celebrity claimed to be "purchased from legal channels" and marked "artificial breeding".

　　However, the reporter noticed that the great white shark is not included in the "List of Artificially Breeding National Key Protected Aquatic Wild Animals", so there is no possibility of eating artificially bred great white sharks.

Screenshot of the live broadcast of the Internet celebrity BBQ Jaws.

　　According to the newly adjusted "National Key Protected Wildlife List", the human shark (also known as the great white shark) is in the list and belongs to the second-level protected animal.

　　So where the great white shark came from has become the focus of attention.

　　Regarding the online rumors that sharks were purchased from JD.com, JD.com responded that the great white sharks purchased by the Internet celebrity "Tizi" were not sold on JD.com.

After inquiries with a number of relevant law enforcement agencies, the great white shark was purchased and sold on other online shopping platforms.

　　In addition, the Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Nanchong City also issued a statement saying that the statement that "the Internet celebrity 'Tizi' bought a great white shark from JD.com" does not match the facts of the case, and the relevant results are subject to the investigation by the public security department.

　　According to an earlier report by The Paper, the anchor bought it from the owner of a Fujian aquatic product store on Taobao. The anchor is an old customer of the store. The two parties have other contact information and did not place an order online.

The reporter contacted Taobao, and as of press time, no relevant response has been received.

Cobra, giant salamander... Multiple e-commerce platforms sell "game"

　　It is not known which online store is selling great white sharks, but the reporter found that many merchants on the e-commerce platform currently sell live animals or "game", such as salamanders, turtles, crocodiles, and even cobras.

Screenshot of the e-commerce platform.

　　For example, the reporter noticed that many businesses on some e-commerce platforms claimed to have "leopard cats" for sale, and the leopard cats are classified as second-level protected animals in the "National Key Protected Wildlife List".

The leopard cat is a national second-class protected animal.

Screenshot from the Chinese government website

　　There are also individual businesses selling cobras. According to the "List of National Key Protected Wild Animals", many species of the cobra family belong to the second-level national protected animals.

According to the pictures or descriptions displayed by the merchants, it is difficult for ordinary consumers to judge whether the cobras sold on the e-commerce platform belong to the above-mentioned protected animals.

　　Even the sika deer, which has now been included in the National Catalogue of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources, are still in the National Catalogue of Key Protected Wild Animals in the wild, and are classified as first-class protected animals.

However, at present, many online stores selling sika deer meat do not indicate whether the sika deer (meat) sold is artificially farmed or from wild populations.

　　Similar to the salamander, turtle and so on.

The giant salamanders and tortoises in the wild belong to the second-class national protected animals.

　　Some analysts pointed out that it is difficult to tell whether the live bodies sold by these e-commerce platforms are artificially farmed or wild.

It is not ruled out that some people illegally sell it after poaching in the name of "artificial breeding".

Screenshot from the Chinese government website 

　　According to the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Law, for the wild animals and their products included in the list, they can directly obtain special labels based on the artificial breeding license and the annual production quantity verified by the wildlife protection departments of the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government. Mark sale and utilization, guarantee traceability.

But at present, many merchants do not have "clear evidence" on the sale page.

Lawyer: Wildlife crime is the same crime as buying and selling 

　　In response to the sale of state-protected animals on e-commerce platforms, Leng Dong, a lawyer without litigation and a lawyer from Beijing Langkong Law Firm, said in an interview with a reporter from Zhongxin Finance that

. 

　　Leng Dong said that the sale of state-protected animals violated the crime of endangering precious and endangered wild animals in the first paragraph of Article 341 of the Criminal Law. "In violation of the regulations on the management of wildlife protection, illegally hunting, purchasing, transporting, or selling terrestrial wild animals that grow and breed naturally in the wild outside the provisions of the first paragraph for the purpose of eating, if the circumstances are serious, according to the preceding paragraph. provide for punishment". 

　　As for the buyer, Leng Dong said that online purchases of second-level national protected animals belong to the purchase of precious and endangered wild animals under national key protection, and are suspected of committing the crime of endangering precious and endangered wild animals, and shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years or criminal detention, and a fine; If the circumstances are serious, he shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years but not more than 10 years, and shall also be fined; if the circumstances are especially serious, he shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than 10 years, and shall be sentenced to a fine or confiscation of property.

The specific circumstances shall be determined jointly with the results of the appraisal of the value of the wildlife involved and other criminal circumstances. 

　　It is worth noting that Leng Dong said that although there are regulations prohibiting the consumption of wild animals, the law focuses on illegal hunting, killing, purchasing, transporting, and selling wild animals and their products. The specific punishment does not include "eating wild animals" into the scope of crime and prosecution.

Simply participating in the act of eating wild animals does not have the corresponding criminal elements, so it is a criminal crime that does not involve the crime of endangering precious and endangered wild animals. 

　　"At the same time, the "Public Security Administration Punishment Law of the People's Republic of China" has no relevant provisions on this, so simply participating in the consumption of wild animals does not involve administrative penalties." Leng Dong said, "Although simply participating in the consumption of wild animals does not constitute a criminal crime and does not involve Administrative punishment, but this kind of behavior cannot be advocated, and the vulgar custom of indiscriminately eating wild animals should be resolutely eradicated.” (End)