Chinese lawmakers call for strengthened wildlife protection

National People’s Congress (NPC) deputies have proposed an increase in penalties for the illegal trading and consumption of wildlife, and an expansion of the scope of the law to strengthen the protection of wild animals.

Li Zongsheng, an NPC deputy and founder of Anxing Law Firm in Northeast China’s Liaoning Province, told the Global Times that the wildlife protection law needs to be revised to cover more species. It is also necessary to educate the public about how to protect wildlife, he said.

Deputies suggested that reptiles, as well as non-endangered land and aquatic animals that have crucial ecological and scientific attributes, be included in the protection scope.

The COVID-19 outbreak has triggered discussion about whether wild animals were the natural host. Experience from the SARS and Ebola outbreaks also showed the importance of protecting wildlife and preventing zoonotic infectious diseases through legal means, Li said.

Citing ineffective law enforcement, the deputies also advised that the government should increase penalties for the trade and exploitation of wildlife, as the current penalties are vague.

Chen Jingying, another NPC deputy who is also vice president of the East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai, proposed that restaurants serving wild animals should have their business certificates revoked and their businesses blacklisted.

As many online platforms have become illegal trade venues, Chen noted that the operators of these platforms should take supervisory responsibility and be punished along with the dealers.

NPC deputy Zhu Lieyu, a lawyer from South China’s Guangdong Province, specified in his proposal a penalty of up to 1,000 yuan ($143) and 10-15 days of detention for eating wild animals.