FINALLY! China Moves to Increase Penalties for Killing and Consuming Endangered Species

China has continued to surprise us with its steps toward increased protections for animals. In 2013, China signed on with 29 other nations to criminalize poaching and even held a public ivory crush, sending out a message to poachers and ivory buyers that their trade is unacceptable.

What’s more, China has announced plans to phase out mandatory animal testing on cosmetics starting in June 2014 and has banned shark fin soup and other wild animal products from official receptions.

China has also taken a stance against Canada’s annual seal hunt by stalling Canadian seal meat sales in response to the cruelty associated with the industry.

However, much like the U.S. and other nations, China still has a long way to go in protecting animals, but progress is being made and should definitely be celebrated (before going back to work, of course!).

Recently, China has taken yet another positive step by issuing a draft policy that will increase penalties for killing and consuming endangered species and may even include criminal punishment.

In its current form, the draft states that any person who buys an endangered wild animal to eat or “for other illegal purposes and is aware of the animal’s protected status” will be published “in line with the Criminal Law,” as China Daily reports. The new legislation will be reviewed during the week of April 21, 2014 by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

According to China Daily, this is the “first time concrete rules have been proposed to prohibit the eating of endangered wildlife.”

See – progress!

By introducing the draft law, government officials hope to decrease demand for endangered wildlife parts and meat and to raise awareness about the plight of protected species, according to Li Shouwei, deputy head of the criminal law division under the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the NPC Standing Committee.

“No trade, no killing,” Shouwei said.

With a number of species facing extinction in China, including pangolins, monitor lizards, deer, and certain types of turtles, the draft law is an important step in the right direction and will hopefully be met with wide Support from China’s leading legislative body. Fingers crossed for the animals!

To lend your voice to China’s endangered animals, consider supporting organizations like Animals Asia, World Wildlife Fund, or the International Fund for Animal Welfare through donations or volunteer work.

UPDATE (4/25/14):

The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress passed this new policy on April 24, 2014. According to CCNTV, anyone who eats giant pandas, golden monkeys, Asiatic black bears and pangolins or “buys them for other purposes will be considered to be breaking the Criminal Law and will face a jail term from below five years to more than 10 years, depending on the degree of the offending.”

Image Source: David Brossard / Flickr