China enforces complete ban on eating wild animals

WUHAN (Web Desk): Central China’s Hubei province has enforced a complete ban on eating wild animals and wildlife products to safeguard people’s lives and health.

The provincial legislature on Thursday passed a decision on the ban which took effect immediately.

All terrestrial wild animals, including captive bred ones, and rare and endangered aquatic wildlife under key protection have been included in the ban, as well as others prohibited by laws and regulations.

No organisations or individuals shall be allowed to produce or process food made from such wild animals and products. In addition, hunting, breeding, trading, transporting or carrying wild animals for the purposes of eating or making food are also banned, the regulation said.

Non-edible utilisation of wild animals pertaining to scientific research, medicine or display must be carried out in accordance with related laws and follow strict procedures.

Any violation will be subject to administrative punishments, while those constituting a crime will bear criminal responsibility in accordance with the law.

The decision has been taken amid novel coronavirus outbreak, the mysterious virus which originated in a vet market of Hubei’s Wuhan city and has since then spread to more than 90 countries of the world, killing over 3,400 and infecting over 100,000, mostly in China thus far.