On the morning of December 7th, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) staff Xing Chen and volunteers of Community Conservation Area for Great Bustard arrived at Jicang agricultural products market in Cangzhou City to follow up the wild migratory birds' deals made at the market. According to Xing Chen and volunteers, the market is bustling with rampant wild bird trafficking behaviors. Local police officers arrived at the market after receiving the reports from volunteers and introduced officers from Nanchentun police station, but they all had zero experience in dealing with such cases, so they advised volunteers to contact the Cangzhou municipal police station on Monday. But the fact is that this isn't the first time for volunteers to contact the police for bird conservation. As early as 2017, volunteers have constantly made phone calls to Cangzhou forestry police, Hebei provincial forestry police and Cangzhou municipal forestry department to inquire, but received few responses.
Zhao Kezhi, Minister of Public Security and State Councilor, made remarks at the special meeting on cracking down illegal behaviors in violation of wildlife resources on March 29. He stressed that President Xi Jinping's Ecological Civilization thoughts and instructions should be completely acted on. The relevant government agencies should make every effort to carry out a special campaign so as to combat illegal behaviors pertaining to wildlife resources, strengthen wildlife conservation and safeguard China's ecological security. According to Article 32 of the newly revised Wild Animal Conservation Law, the provision of trading platforms for the illegal sale, purchase or utilization of wildlife and the products thereof or prohibited hunting equipment by internet trading platforms, goods exchange markets or other trading space is prohibited. If anyone, in violation of Article 32, provides a trading platform for the illegal sale, purchase or utilization of wildlife or the products thereof or prohibited hunting equipment, the department of market supervision and management under the people's government at county level and above shall issue an order to cease this illegal behavior and make corrections within a prescribed time limit; shall confiscate all unlawful income; and shall issue a fine of between two and five times the amount of this unlawful income. Where no unlawful income was gained, a fine shall be issued of between 10,000 and 50,000 yuan. Where this constitutes a crime, they shall be pursued for criminal responsibility in accordance with the law (Article 51).
Therefore, CBCGDF calls on Cangzhou municipal authorities to attach high importance and take effective measures to conserve wild animals, thus contributing to the construction of ecological civilization. CBCGDF and volunteers of Community Conservation Area for Great bustard will keep the focus on the update.
(Photo credit: CBCGDF/Volunteers)
Original Chinese article:
http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4854/10647.html
By / Wang Yanqing