After the coronavirus epidemic outbreak, the call to attach great importance to the protection of wild animals has been echoed once again, and some cases of hunting and hunting under the name of breeding have entered our field of vision once again. The scope of the permit for livestock breeding of wild animals has become the focus of attention from all walks of life since the outbreak.

In the sixth program, CCTV Finance invited Jiang Jianping, a researcher at the Chengdu Institute of Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Feng Limin, an associate professor at the School of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, to interpret the important ecological value of the Chinese Forest Frog, and what’s wrong with Chinese “aquaculture industry” involving wildlife? What changes do we need under the Wild Animal Fasting Order?

First, let’s listen to the confession of Chinese Forest Frog (Rana amurensis Boulenger).

Chinese Forest Frog over hunting causes species crisis

During the interview, Jiang Jianping compared the data from two field surveys in Northeast China. After 25 years, changes in the data of Chinese Forest Frog have caused him great concern, and local hunting methods have made him even more in crisis. He said that Chinese Forest Frogs are currently being used more severely in the Northeast, so they have been caught more often. In 1994, just Shangzhi County could purchase about 8,000 kilograms in one year. After more than ten years, it was hundreds of kilograms, which was a tenfold reduction. Obviously, the population of Chinese Forest Frog is severely threatened in nature and in the wild.

The genetic structure of wild populations will be changed during the breed and capture process

Jiang Jianping said that almost every ravine has been used by the villagers, which can be called “destructive” use. Locals may not differentiate big or small in the process of catching, and there may be gender differences when catching, because females’ frogs are more expensive, with Oviductus ranae, and males frogs are cheaper, so they may not be caught.

In addition, because of artificial breeding, there is also a phenomenon of introduction. The introduction will bring the Chinese Forest Frog in this ravine to another ravine, which affects the locality or purity of the population. There is no doubt that this is causing the sustainability of great harm. Of course, genes also change with it, which seriously affects the local population's genetic structure and the nature of genetic diversity. In the long run, this population will gradually become endangered or even extinct.

Chinese Forest Frog breeding is the "destructive" use in some areas

Han Liang Zi is a frog-trapping tool with a height of more than one meter. It is actually a "wall" made of plastic cloth. It intercepts the Chinese Forest Frog that goes downhill to spend winter in the forest. It is difficult for the Chinese Forest Frog to surpass them, they may be hunted while wandering. Perhaps the locals feel that relying on the mountain to eat the mountain, relying on the forest to eat the forest. But experts from a scientific perspective of natural ecology said this "breeding" method will cause great damage to the ecology.

Wild animal domestication permits brakes sharply

The condition of rearing Chinese Forest Frog in Northeast China is a "semi-artificial model", which uses natural populations, strictly speaking, it does not belong to artificial breeding populations and should belong to wild animals. Under the banner of this breeding, it is actually hunting and hunting to make money that should not be earned. At present, our country still lacks supervision and related policies in the domestication and breeding of wild animals, which has caused various problems in the domestication and breeding of wild animals. Professor Jiang Jianping said that after the outbreak, many departments at various levels introduced a lot of policies. In fact, that is for everyone to make an emergency stop and calmly think about some problems in the domestication and breeding of wildlife.

Decreased wild forest Chinese Forest Frog population will lead to "domino effect" in the ecosystem

The Russian Far East borders Northeast China. At the same latitude and the same ecosystem, Associate Professor Feng Limin saw another scene in Russia.

During a field trip in Russia, Associate Professor Feng Limin found that even in winter, Chinese Forest Frog can be seen dormant (hibernation) in natural rivers and under pebbles. The proportion of Chinese Forest Frog observed in the wild is much higher than that seen in China, and the density of Chinese Forest Frog is far less than that of Russia. It is known that Russia does not have the habit of eating Chinese Forest Frog.

Chinese Forest Frog is a cornerstone species in the ecosystem and it is an indispensable and important part of the ecosystem food chain. The ecological value of wild animals is far greater than the edible value. Many people who eat wild animals are out of curiosity and showing off their wealth. If wild animals are not left to nature but eventually enter the mouth of human beings, that will destroy the food chain of the entire ecosystem.

(Photo credit: CBCGDF)

Original Chinese article:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/AR-g4S7EawiA4NJcMr_IXQ

By / Zhang Xueyan Modified / Xue Tongtong, Maggie