China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) has learned that the third meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Joint Conference on Combating Illegal Trade in Wildlife was held in Beijing on July 30, 2020. 27 member units jointly discussed combating illegal trade in wildlife. Six departments including the National Forestry and Grass Administration, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, the Ministry of Public Security, the General Administration of Market Supervision, and the State Cyberspace Administration of China launched a special campaign to combat the destruction of wild plant resources.

Since the establishment of the inter-ministerial joint conference system for combating illegal trade in wildlife more than four years ago, it has continuously improved laws and policies, strengthened species protection, and strengthened joint law enforcement among departments, actively carried out publicity and education, deepened international exchanges and cooperation, and cracking down on illegal trade in wildlife and their products has achieved remarkable results.

In the next phase of this year, each member unit will promote 35 key tasks. Fully implement the decisions of the National People's Congress, step up efforts to continue the follow-up work on banning the consumption of wild animals. Make specific arrangements and deployments on helping farmers to transform their industries, compensation for losses, and disposal of wild animals in breeding. Promote the revision of the Wildlife Protection Law and the Animal Epidemic Prevention Law, adjust and release national key protected wildlife and wild plants and the list of terrestrial wildlife with important ecological, scientific and social value protected by the state. Strengthen policy interpretation and legal publicity and guide the public to increase their awareness of caring for wildlife, resisting illegal trade, and abandoning bad habits of overeating. Strengthen the monitoring and tracking of illegal wildlife trade information on the Internet and cut off the chain of illegal trade. Carry out special training for relevant personnel on combating illegal trade in wildlife. Jointly carry out special law enforcement actions such as "Kunlun 2020", "Blue Sea" and "Two Fights". Intensify the procuratorial agency's handling of public interest litigation involving wild animals and plants and carry out special supervision activities for "public interest litigation to protect a better life". Study the establishment of a national unified platform for reporting and accepting wildlife cases and explore the establishment of a protection and reward mechanism for the protection of wildlife. Strengthen international cooperation and promote law enforcement throughout the chain.

At the meeting, six departments, the State Forestry and Grass Administration, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Central Political and Legal Committee, the Ministry of Public Security, the General Administration of Market Supervision, and the State Cyberspace Administration of China, jointly launched a special action to crack down and rectify the destruction of wild plant resources. Through the establishment of a coordination mechanism for rectification actions, strengthening of field patrols, strengthening the governance of online violations of laws and regulations, and focusing on clearing and rectifying illegal business markets and merchants, severely crack down on illegal and criminal activities such as indiscriminate mining of wild plants, destruction of the wild plant growth environment, and operating and using wild plants. The special action will continue until December 31, 2020.

The inter-ministerial joint conference system to combat illegal trade in wildlife was established in 2016 with the approval of the State Council. The State Forestry and Grass Administration is the lead unit. There are currently 27 member units. The Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate are new members this year.

(Photo source: Internet)

Reference link:

http://www.yutainews.com/hb/2020/0731/15587.html

By / Maggie

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