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While it's tough to find a silver lining in the ongoing SARS outbreak, "wild animals" are benefiting from the fear caused by the virus.
The State Forestry Bureau and the State General Bureau of Industrial and Commercial Administration jointly issued an emergency notice "suspending hunting, sales, purchase, transportation, import and export of any living or dead wild animals in an attempt to prevent the spread of SARS."
While the regulation is ambiguous, the term "wild animals" apparently refers to all terrestrial animals in addition to the nation's protection list of wildlife, except for poultry, livestock (pigs, cows and sheep) and common house pets such as cats and dogs. The term isn't meant to differentiate between animals living in the wild and those raised by man.
The notice also calls for supervision of farms that breed "wild animals." In the past, sellers with business and transportation permits issued by the government were allowed to trade farm-bred wild animals which are not on the state protection list, such as snakes, frogs and peacocks.
Officials said the notice was issued because there is a suspicion that the SARS virus comes from wild animals. The fact that people in Guangdong Province where the first case of SARS is reported and Hong Kong, are especially fond of the meat of "wild animals" gives credence to those suspicions.
"Although the suspicions haven't been proven by scientific research, we should be cautious and stop eating wild animals," said Xu Hongfa, a biology professor at East China Normal University. "Many wild animals sold in restaurants are not quarantined and may carry lots of parasites and viruses."
To ensure the regulation is followed, Shanghai's wildlife protection office has inspected dozens of local markets and told them to stop selling "wild animals" as well as informing performance troops and local zoos to keep the beast away from humans.
"Even licensed sellers must stop doing business immediately. All their 'wild animals' must be stored in a warehouse," said Du Dechang, director of the Wildlife Conservation Station of the Shanghai Agriculture and Forestry Bureau.
If inspectors find anyone breaking the regulation, animals will be confiscated and fines can be levied.
At the Huxi Aquatic Products Market on Tongchuan Road, 95 percent of the so-called wild animals on sale are actually bred on the farms because "real wild animals available on the market are always dead which Shanghainese don't like," according to one salesman at the market.
"The regulation is a fatal blow on wholesalers. Almost all the animals have died now," said Hu Wende, general manager of the market. "Anyway, we can understand the public health is much more important than the market."
Xie Fuhua, who has been dealing in "wild animals' trade for 10 years, said he will lose 100,000 yuan (US$12,050) every month due to the ban.
(eastday.com May 21, 2003)
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