The country's first auction of hunting quotas for wildlife has
been delayed due to public outcry over the inclusion of endangered
species on the list.
"The auction will be held in the appropriate manner after we
have solicited suggestions from the public," State Forestry
Administration (SFA) spokesman Cao Qingyao said on Friday in
Beijing. However, he would not give a date.
The auction was originally scheduled for Sunday in Chengdu,
capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. Hunting quotas for 289
animals of 14 species from 25 international hunting ranges are to
be sold to five government-authorized agencies.
Wang Wei, deputy director of wildlife protection at the SFA,
said the planned auction would increase transparency and efficiency
in the hunting industry.
But netizens were outraged when they discovered the quota list
included animals on the State endangered species list such as the
Tibetan antelope.
"The public response is beyond our expectations," said Wang. "We
are trying to gain more understanding and clear up doubts."
Restricted hunting that abides by Chinese law and follows
international practice would help protect wildlife and contribute
to the local economy, Wang said.
Cao Liang, director of the China Wildlife Conservation
Association, said that of the small number of endangered animals
included in the quota, some are over-bred and should no longer be
included on the list.
Over the past decades, the government has strengthened its
efforts on wildlife conservation. As a result, the growing
population of some animals has become a burden on the local
ecological system, according to Cao.
He said hunters would only target old male animals, which would
not affect the species in the long term.
But animal conservation organizations see the move as
misleading.
"The public may think the government is loosening wildlife
protection," said He Yong, a spokesman for the International Fund
for Animal Welfare (IFAW). "It could encourage poaching."
He added that China's wildlife numbers could not sustain
unrestricted hunting.
Dermot O'Gorman, executive director of the World Wildlife Fund
China, said hunting can be a solution to manage wildlife, but
should not be the first option.
"Even if the government allows hunting, it has to be carried out
under a scientific basis and be properly managed," O'Gorman
said.
It needs to be part of the overall conservation strategy for a
particular species, and hunting quotas for individual species and
hunting activities must be carefully monitored, he added.
China has allowed trophy hunting by international hunters since
1985. The domestic market remains less developed due to high costs
and a ban on guns.
By the end of last year about 1,101 international hunters had
visited China, bringing in revenue of more than US$36.39 million as
they hunted 1,347 wild animals.
Local forestry departments and hunting parks use the money from
hunting for the protection of wildlife, officials said.
(China Daily August 12, 2006)