In mid-April 2023, Zhou Jinfeng, Secretary-General of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), was invited to give a lecture of "Contemporary Ecological Crisis and Environmental Ethics" at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen as part of the "Celebrity Lecture on Science Ethics and Technology Ethics." Professor TIAN Song from the Humanities and Social Sciences Center of Southern University of Science and Technology was the host of the lecture. The following is a summary of Dr. Zhou Jinfeng's speech, translsated by CBCGDF International Affairs Department:
The Oriental white stork (Ciconia boyciana) is a large wading bird listed as a Chinese national first-class protected species. It is also listed as an endangered (EN) species in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In January 2019, statistics showed that the global total number of Oriental white storks did not exceed 4000, and the eastern coast of China to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River was an important wintering area for them.
However, the fate of the Oriental white stork on its migration path is very bumpy. In November 2019, CBCGDF volunteers discovered several suspected cases of poisoning of Oriental white storks in Hebei, Tianjin, and other places. Later, it was confirmed by the police that they were poisoned by highly toxic substances such as methamidophos and furan. From 2020 to 2022, during the migration season of birds, a considerable number of Oriental white storks were found dead in the Ningchegu area of the Binhai New Area in Tianjin (including the Qinghe Farm in Beijing). According to incomplete statistics, the number of deaths of these birds has exceeded 80.
Later, it was found that the Oriental white stork died after eating small fish in the pond. So why does eating small fish led to their deaths? Because the ponds were treated with banned pesticides. Why would these pesticides be used? Because the fish farmers wanted to prevent fish deaths, increase fish yields, and thus increase their income.
So, how should the responsibility for this matter be pursued? The manufacturer of the banned pesticide is one of the responsible parties, as are the distributors of the banned pesticide. Although they are not the direct perpetrators of the poisoning of Oriental white storks, they knew that these banned pesticides were harmful but still used them.
What about people who eat these fish? Is it harmless to their health? Of course not, it is harmful to the human body, although we may not be fully aware of it. We often cannot trace the cause of the disease (even sudden death) due to that diagonosis usually are too complicated or beyond the reach of current medical measures. This happens around us. This is an example of the huge threats to biodiversity and human health posed by the illegal use of banned chemicals.
Wildlife are becoming extinct one after another in the rapid biodiversity loss over the past 100 years. On the other hand, for example, mice, with their strong adaptability and large reproductive capacity, develop resistance. As a result, the capitalists and "scientists" of the industrial civilization era continuously introduce new drugs to gain more profits, but humanity and its only habitat are gradually moving toward extinction.
This is a huge biological and scientific ethical challenge we face today. Whether it is in biology, physics, or other fields, scientific researchers and practitioners will encounter such ethical issues related to biology, technology, and the environment. We should maintain a sufficient and clear understanding of this.
Writer: Daisy
Translator: Littlejane
Editor：Daisy
Contact CBCGDF International Affairs Department: v10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776
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