Authorities crack down on illegal wildlife trade

Students and a wildlife conservation volunteer release birds rescued by the Natural Resources Bureau during the 42nd Bird Loving Week in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province on April 24, 2023. Photo: VCG

 
A multi-departmental law enforcement operation has investigated more than 14,000 illegal wildlife trade cases and seized over 540,000 animals and plants, according to a recent report released by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA).

From March to June, led by NFGA and ten other departments including the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the Ministry of Public Security, the operation targeted illegal wildlife trade at various stages across the country, including illegal hunting, harvest, killing, sale, transport and consumption, combating illegal trade in wild animals and plants. The operation was named "Breeze Campaign 2023."

The three-month campaign dealt with over 14,000 cases, 10,000 of which were criminal cases, arresting gang members from 546 criminal gangs, confiscating over 190 million yuan ($26 million) earned through illegal means. Also, fines and penalties of approximately 16.4 million yuan were imposed, according to the NFGA.

Zhang Yujun, a professor with Beijing Forestry University, told the Global Times that he is surprised by the number of cases but it's encouraging to see the positive results in combating illegal wildlife trade nationwide.

"The campaign strengthened the wildlife protection network and curbed criminal activities that harmed wildlife resources," said Zhang.

"It's difficult to eradicate the consumption of wild animals in one swoop. We need to make unrelenting efforts in raising people's awareness of wildlife protection and keep up with a long-term campaign to crack down on the illegal trade," he noted.

China will further improve its law enforcement mechanism and continue to promote publicity to help crack down on illegal wildlife trade, the administration said.

In the same campaign in 2022, the authorities investigated nearly 12,000 illegal wildlife trade cases and seized more than 130,000 animals and plants.