Government officials said yesterday that the illegal hunting of
birds was rampant in parts of China - with many creatures ending up
on the dinner plate - and should be tackled strictly according to
law.
The State Forestry Administration said the problem was particularly
bad in southern China, with restaurants shelling out huge sums to
serve the birds to customers.
Hotels were also guilty of buying the illegally caught birds as
profits from their sale were high.
Sounding a clarion call to local leaders and agencies to crack down
on the criminal practice, officials warned that national ecosystems
and biodiversity were under threat.
They launched a week-long campaign against the illegal hunting,
killing and trading of birds in China yesterday.
Officials said large quantities of birds were involved as the
migrating season was under way.
As
a result the campaign will be focused on the resting place and
habitats of birds, such as regions around the Bohai Sea, lower
reaches of the Yellow River and coastal regions of Shandong and
Jiangsu provinces.
Targeted regions will also include east China and south China where
people often eat birds.
Forestry police have promised to strictly enforce criminal law, the
law on the protection of wildlife and relevant regulations. They
made a zero-tolerance vow to punish anyone who violates the laws
and regulations.
Du
Yongsheng, director of the forest police bureau under the
administration, said local police stations should exchange
information frequently and co-ordinate their work in the
campaign.
He
also called on the general public to support the campaign and offer
effective information to local forestry police stations.
China is one of the countries that are the richest in bird
resources. There are more than 1,300 bird species in the country,
accounting for 13.5 percent of the world's total, statistics from
the administration reveal.
Among 1,300 species, more than 500 are migratory birds and each
year many other migratory birds from foreign countries pass through
the country.
(China Daily December 17, 2oo2)