The draft regulations were deliberated by the standing committee of the municipal people's congress, or the legislature of Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province, on Tuesday.

Since existing laws already have detailed measures to protect wild animals in areas of transporting, sale and purchase, the new regulations focus on punishment for activities such as processing and eating wild animals.

According to the new regulations, each consumer will be fined 1,000 yuan (US$120) by the forestry, fishery or industrial and commercial authorities for the consumption of wild animals.

Those who sell wild animals or products will have their income of the sales confiscated and be fined from 20,000 to 100,000 yuan (US$2,415 to US$12,000).

"Restaurants will be banned from printing wild animal images or names on their menus or boards, the first time that such a clause is included in governmental rules across the country," said Zheng Guoyan, an official from the standing committee of the municipal people's congress.

According to Zheng, the wild animals banned to be eaten refer to not only those under the national and provincial protection lists, but also those beneficial to human beings or which have economic or scientific value.

However, some wild animals that have been raised in captivity, including spotted deer and Chinese turtles, can be supplied to consumers under strict quarantine and after receiving governmental approval.

Moreover, the regulations also encourage citizens to tip off authorities on the illegal consumption of wild animals. Once proven, the whistle-blowers will be awarded with 20 per cent of the penalties meted out.

Feng Qingyun, a domestic consumer of wild animals, told China Daily that he gave up his longtime habit of eating wild animals after the outbreak of SARS this year.

(China Daily June 19, 2003)