Why do we need a wildlife consumption ban in China?

Xiao, Lingyun; Lü, Zhi; Xueyang, Li; Zhao, Xiang; Li, Binbin V.

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2020.12.036

Cited by 35 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Another problem, as encountered by the WHO report is that, retrospectively, it proved difficult to ascertain which species were on sale, even to the genus level, relying solely on the responsible market authority's official sales records and disclosures 1 . As we 19 , 20 , and others 21 , have proposed previously, China’s LFSSP and LESS must be updated to apply proper binomials, and to align with recent taxonomic revisions; for instance, cobra snakes ( Nada atra ) can be farmed legally for food with permits, but wild caught species, such as water snakes and wolf snakes were also sold in Wuhan, labelled simply as ‘snakes’. Such an application of clear species names would allow for more effective prosecutions 19 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, the WHO reports that market authorities claimed all live and frozen animals sold in the Huanan market were acquired from farms officially licensed for breeding and quarantine, and as such no illegal wildlife trade was identified 1 . In reality, however, because China has no regulatory authority regulating animal trading conducted by small-scale vendors or individuals it is impossible to make this determination 1 , 21 . Similar discrepancies concerning species identification and origins afflict investigations around the world 22 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Animal sales from Wuhan wet markets immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic

Xiao

Newman

Buesching

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

111

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Here we document 47,381 individuals from 38 species, including 31 protected species sold between May 2017 and November 2019 in Wuhan’s markets. We note that no pangolins (or bats) were traded, supporting reformed opinion that pangolins were not likely the spillover host at the source of the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While we caution against the misattribution of COVID-19’s origins, the wild animals on sale in Wuhan suffered poor welfare and hygiene conditions and we detail a range of other zoonotic infections they can potentially vector. Nevertheless, in a precautionary response to COVID-19, China’s Ministries temporarily banned all wildlife trade on 26th Jan 2020 until the COVID-19 pandemic concludes, and permanently banned eating and trading terrestrial wild (non-livestock) animals for food on 24th Feb 2020. These interventions, intended to protect human health, redress previous trading and enforcement inconsistencies, and will have collateral benefits for global biodiversity conservation and animal welfare.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Animal sales from Wuhan wet markets immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic

Xiao

Newman

Buesching

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

111

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“…Wild animals or their products can reach consumers directly from the wild or farms, or most commonly through a wholesale or retail point. Quarantine is required for transporting and trading wild animals at markets, but the procedures are insufficiently enforced, compounded by the involvement of multiple stakeholders including middlemen, processors, and abattoirs in the value chain [ 44 ]. Additionally, international value chains have been established to meet global demand.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wild animal and zoonotic disease risk management and regulation in China: Examining gaps and One Health opportunities in scope, mandates, and monitoring systems

Chen

Machalaba

et al. 2021

One Health

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Emerging diseases of zoonotic origin such as COVID-19 are a continuing public health threat in China that lead to a significant socioeconomic burden. This study reviewed the current laws and regulations, government reports and policy documents, and existing literature on zoonotic disease preparedness and prevention across the forestry, agriculture, and public health authorities in China, to articulate the current landscape of potential risks, existing mandates, and gaps. A total of 55 known zoonotic diseases (59 pathogens) are routinely monitored under a multi-sectoral system among humans and domestic and wild animals in China. These diseases have been detected in wild mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish or other aquatic animals, the majority of which are transmitted between humans and animals via direct or indirect contact and vectors. However, this current monitoring system covers a limited scope of disease threats and animal host species, warranting expanded review for sources of disease and pathogen with zoonotic potential. In addition, the governance of wild animal protection and utilization and limited knowledge about wild animal trade value chains present challenges for zoonotic disease risk assessment and monitoring, and affect the completeness of mandates and enforcement. A coordinated and collaborative mechanism among different departments is required for the effective monitoring and management of disease emergence and transmission risks in the animal value chains. Moreover, pathogen surveillance among wild animal hosts and human populations outside of the routine monitoring system will fill the data gaps and improve our understanding of future emerging zoonotic threats to achieve disease prevention. The findings and recommendations will advance One Health collaboration across government and non-government stakeholders to optimize monitoring and surveillance, risk management, and emergency responses to known and novel zoonotic threats, and support COVID-19 recovery efforts.

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“…However, the Law gives exemptions to the utilization of SSP species for a specified range of purposes and sets up various regulatory schemes (Table 1), with a view to ensuring that such exempted uses and trades are under "adequate regulation and stringent supervision" (Article 4) and not detrimental to the survival of wild populations. In contrast, the utilization of nonprotected species is less regulated by the current legislation (i.e., their hunting and farming do not mandate relevant permits) (Xiao et al, 2021).…”

Section: China's Legal Framework For Wildlife Protection and Utilizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

China’s Conservation Strategy Must Reconcile Its Contemporary Wildlife Use and Trade Practices

Jiao

Lee

2021

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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China’s supply-side conservation efforts in the past decades have led to two bewildering juxtapositions: a rapidly expanding farming industry vs. overexploitation, which remains one of the main threats to Chinese vertebrates. COVID-19 was also the second large-scale zoonotic disease outbreak since the 2002 SARS. Here, we reflect on China’s supply-side conservation strategy by examining its policies, laws, and practices concerning wildlife protection and utilization, and identify the unintended consequences that likely have undermined this strategy and made it ineffective in protecting threatened wildlife and preventing zoonotic diseases. We call for China to overhaul its conservation strategy to limit and phase out risky and unsustainable utilization, while improving legislation and enforcement to establish full chain-of-custody regulation over existing utilization.

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Why do we need a wildlife consumption ban in China?

Cited by 35 publications

References 17 publications

Animal sales from Wuhan wet markets immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic

Animal sales from Wuhan wet markets immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic

Wild animal and zoonotic disease risk management and regulation in China: Examining gaps and One Health opportunities in scope, mandates, and monitoring systems

China’s Conservation Strategy Must Reconcile Its Contemporary Wildlife Use and Trade Practices

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