Senior legislator stresses implementing wildlife protection law

A Central Asian tortoise is found at Ebi Lake wetland natural reserve, in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 23, 2019. The tortoise was about 30 years old. The species is endemic to Central Asia, and in China, it's found only in the autonomous region's Huocheng County, placed under first-class wildlife protection. (Photo: China News Service)

 
A senior Chinese legislator has stressed fully implementing the Wildlife Protection Law and a decision adopted in February to completely ban the eating of wild animals.

Wang Chen, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, made the remarks on Tuesday at a meeting of a law enforcement inspection team of the NPC Standing Committee.

Authorities across China have investigated and dealt with a batch of cases involving wild animals in recent months, stepping up the protection of wild animals, Wang noted.

Illegal acts related to wild animals should be strictly handled, and the capabilities of law enforcement supervision and quarantine inspections must be strengthened, he said.

Wildlife protection workers put a rescued baby crane into a box for transportation in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province, May 7, 2018. The baby crane was found alone and unable to stand up near the Poyang Lake in east China's Jiangxi Province on April 24. It was sent to a provincial wildlife care and breeding center for recovery before being transfered to Melmeg National Nature Reserve. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)

 
Efforts should also be made to help breeders shift to producing or selling other products and ensure compensations are paid, Wang said, stressing needs to step up the protection and construction of wild animal habitats, and advance legislation and law revisions.