China appears to be relaxing restrictions on the farming of wildlife such as civets and bamboo rats, which raises a new risk to public health and the environment.
Government agencies used to promote wildlife farming as a way to get rich in rural China. China banned hunting, trading and transporting wildlife, as well as the consumption of food, after public health experts said the virus could have come from the supply chain.
The wildlife farming industry had 14 million people working before the Covid restrictions.
The animals covered by the ban are known as the "three values". There were civets, wild animals, and bamboo rats in this picture. Authorities admit that current regulations aren't clear enough for the consumption of wildlife as food.
The primary source of income for millions of farmers in China was cut off after the ban. If a government-approved licence was obtained, farmers could still breed animals on the banned list.
Regulations do not say if the eating of animals with the three values is legal or not. The National People's Congress official said that the loophole was created by this.
The Wildlife Protection Law has been updated recently to make it easier to farm wildlife. The farming of wildlife with the three values doesn't need to be approved. You don't have to register. If something goes wrong, you will only need to fix it within a certain period of time, according to a public statement.
The statement said that they were worried that the changes would weaken the supervision and protection of animals.
The link between protecting wildlife and public health has been weakened by the removal of the phrase "prevention of public health risks".
The Chinese anti-poaching crime squad said that the best way to protect public health is to let wildlife stay where they aresupposed to be. Attempts to farm, breed, buy or sell them will increase public health risks.
A few varieties of chickens, ducks and deers are among the 16 types of animals that are exempt from captive breeding. There are new contexts for reviving the now-dormant wildlife business.
Wildlife with the three values will likely return to the public eye. Zhou Jinfeng told the Guardian that it would mean a victory for supporters of the industry.
Since the start of the 21st century, there have been three major outbreak caused by coronaviruses. These are believed to be related to wildlife. Policies should be put in place to help workers find alternatives.
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He is ready to go back to work. There are a small number of rats. I will raise more if wildlife farming is allowed again.
According to a researcher at the College of Forestry at Guizhou University, it is not scientific to consider captive bred animals the same as those in the wild.
Others disagree. Prof Diana Bell said that relaxing those regulations is outrageous. Many animals were obtained through the laundered of animals caught from the wild, so they need to think carefully about this. The activities will present a major threat to the environment in Asia.
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