At the end of April 2023, Shanghai Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee sought public feedback on the draft of <Shanghai Wildlife Protection Regulation>. The draft, consisting of 38 articles under five chapters, primarily emphasizes wildlife protection management responsibilities and the establishment of the city's wildlife habitat system. Responding to the call, the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) studied the draft and provided three suggestions for consideration.

Firstly, CBCGDF suggested changing the word "repair" to "restore" in all sections of the draft because these are two different concepts. The emphasis on "restore" rather than "repair" implies the smallest possible human intervention to promote natural recovery, rather than large-scale human interference. In the Chinese context, "repair" is usually associated with human intervention, and such intervention is often opposed to ecological civilization, which results in biodiversity damage. In contrast, under the guidance of ecological civilization, ecological governance for both ecosystems and wildlife habitats should be based on natural recovery, rather than artificial "repair." When natural recovery is possible, artificial measures should be avoided, especially since artificial repairs often cannot achieve true restoration due to natural factors.

Secondly, CBCGDF suggested adding a clause to Article 20, which states that "If a construction project may affect the habitat of city wildlife, the planning and resource department shall seek the opinions of the competent department in charge of wildlife protection." CBCGDF suggested adding "and the opinions of the public and social organizations" to ensure that wildlife and their habitats can obtain maximum protection.

Finally, CBCGDF suggested adding a new section, "Active Implementation of Biodiversity Conservation in Our Neighborhood (BCON)," to the end of Chapter 2, "Protection of Wildlife and Its Habitat." BCON aims to promote effective biodiversity conservation in areas with high human activity, balancing protection and development, and facilitating sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity conservation.

【Background】

Shanghai is located on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF), which is a major migratory bird route stretching from the Arctic Circle to Australia and New Zealand. The EAAF is used by millions of birds each year, including many endangered species. As a result, it is important for Shanghai to take measures to protect the habitats of these migratory birds and ensure their safe passage through the city.

Shanghai faces many social/environmental challenges, especially rapid urban development, a large population, and the loss of natural habitats. Previously, in an attempt to increase forest coverage, Shanghai attempted to plant trees on a large scale in Nanhui coastal wetlands. However, this practice was stopped due to strong opposition from CBCGDF and local volunteers. Planting trees on such a large scale would have resulted in the loss of natural habitat for waterbirds and the negative impacts of such manipulation of nature outweighed the benefits.

In this case, again, the CBCGDF's suggestions provide insightful perspectives on the draft of "Shanghai Wildlife Protection Regulation," and the national scientific society is hoped that the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee will carefully consider them. With increased public participation and social organization engagement, the regulation can be effectively enforced, and the protection of wildlife and their habitats in Shanghai can be significantly enhanced.

Original Chinese Article: https://www.bilibili.com/read/cv23504482 

Translator: Littlejane

Editor：Samantha

Contact: V10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776

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