The export of frog products will be completely banned from next year on in north China's Hebei Province.

Wu Minglu, head of the wildlife protection office under the provincial forestry department, made the statement recently.

The epidemic of mad cow disease in Europe has resulted in a sharp reduction in beef consumption, which has led to a sharp increase in demand for frog products increase in overseas markets, said Wu.

However, as raised frogs are expensive, many people in Hebei have been poaching wild frogs, which has seriously endangered the species and damaged the local ecological balance.

The province has moved quickly to crack down on the poaching of wild frogs since early this year and ceased to grant licenses to those applying for conducting frog business.

And the sales of any frog product will be completely prohibited as of next year.

( cri.com.cn 10/04/2001)