(CN) City action to keep wildlife from skillet

[Guest guest]

China Daily

http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2002-11-18/94180.html

(ZHAN LISHENG)

11/18/2002

 

GUANGZHOU: Fewer wild animals will fall a prey to human beings thanks to

some timely protection measures from the local government.

The municipal government will launch a series of programmes this month to

raise awareness of the importance of wild animal protection among citizens

and to hone the consciousness of the public on the issue of wildlife

protection.

 

The programmes include an official wildlife protection day on November 24,

and a wildlife protection contest for the city's young people which starts

on November 20.

 

" Wild animal protection is by no means a duck-soup issue, " said Guo Qinghe,

deputy director of the Guangzhou Forestry Bureau.

 

" We will take a more iron-handed approach to protect wild animals in the

coming days. "

 

A city long famous for delicacies, Guangzhou is paradise for diners but hell

for wild animals.

 

Sources say that restaurants in Guangzhou used to kill 20 tons of snakes and

20,000 birds every day.

 

According to officials, the municipal authorities will keep a closer eye on

any attempt to poach wild animals, and will impose strict punishments on any

die-hard. These could entail fines as high as 100,000 yuan (US$12,000) or

even criminal penalties.

 

And those found guilty of dining on the meat of wild animals, especially

species under State-protection, will face a fine as high as 10,000 yuan

(US$1,200) if they knew the meat was illegally procured.

 

As of July 1, Guangzhou had been prohibiting wild animal poaching for five

years.