This afternoon, the 16th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress held a closing meeting. The meeting voted to pass the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on comprehensively prohibiting the illegal wildlife trade, abolishing the bad habits of overeating wildlife, and effectively protecting the lives and health of the people, and the decision to postpone the convening of the third session of the 13th National People's Congress.
Since the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the outstanding problems of wild animals and the huge hidden dangers to public health safety have attracted wide attention from all walks of life. But a comprehensive revision of the wildlife protection law requires a process. In the critical period of epidemic prevention and control, it is necessary and urgent for the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress to pass a special decision as soon as possible. The purpose is to clear and comprehensively prohibit the consumption of wild animals in a timely manner before the relevant laws are revised. Provide strong legislative guarantees to win the epidemic stagnation war and protect the lives and health of the people.
The current laws and regulations on fasting of wildlife protection laws are limited to the state's key protection of wildlife and other protected wildlife that have no legal source and have not passed quarantine inspection. On the basis of the Wildlife Protection Law, the "Decision" expands the scope of legal adjustments, and establishes a system for the complete prohibition of wild animals. Violations of existing laws and regulations shall be punished on the basis of the existing laws in order to reflect stricter management and severe crackdown.
The decision will take effect from the date of its announcement, which is to take effect today.
Another decision adopted at the meeting was the decision to postpone the convening of the third meeting of the Thirteenth National People's Congress. The decision was clear, and the convening of the third meeting of the 13th National People's Congress was appropriately postponed. The specific meeting time shall be decided separately by the NPC Standing Committee.