China Daily 8/22/05: Discerning diners stay away from wild dishes

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China Daily 2005-08-22 06:01

 

Discerning diners stay away from wild dishes

By Liang Qiwen, China Daily

 

GUANGZHOU: It has been two years since Guangdong Province banned the

sale of wild animals for cooking after the outbreak of SARS (severe

acute respiratory syndrome) in 2003.

 

But some Guangdong residents have yet to refrain from eating wild

animals, though most people frown upon the idea.

 

Wang Ligang, a Guangzhou local, said he loved to eat wild animals

before the ban. " It tasted good and was expensive, something the

diner was proud of, " Wang said.

 

He said treating his business partners to such delicacies was the

best way to make them feel honoured and respected.

 

Since civet cats were determined to be the main carriers of SARS

virus, the Guangdong provincial government banned the sale of the

animal and other wild animals, such as pangolins and owls, in 2003.

In August of that year, the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress

worked out a proposal that urged residents to give up eating wild

animals.

 

After the ban was imposed, only a few species of wild creatures were

available in the market, such as wild chickens and wild pigeons.

 

Xinyuan Market, which is located in suburban Guangzhou, with an

annual trading volume of 800 million yuan (US$99 million), at that

time, was the largest wild animal market in Asia before the outbreak

of SARS.

 

" The current situation is totally different from the past, " said Chen

Zhihe, a trader in the market.

 

More than 100 stalls sold wild animals in the past, but now Chen is

one of the one dozen or so traders who still stick to the trade.

 

" Only wild ducks, pigeons, chickens and cats are allowed to be sold, "

Chen said.

 

Because fewer and fewer people eat wild animals, Chen's business has

gone downhill. He said he would leave the market once his stock had

sold out.

 

Before the end of the year, Xinyuan Market will be changed into an

ordinary market that sells meat and vegetables. The source of wild

animals will certainly dry up further, Chen said.

 

Restaurants and residents are having trouble finding wild animals

for their dinner tables. In Guangzhou, most wild animal restaurants

have taken the banned animals off the menu.

 

China Daily visited 10 restaurants that had once served up wild

animals and they said that they now consider continuing the business

as too risky.

 

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