China has adopted a newly revised law on Saturday protecting the country's wildlife and making the purchase of state-protected wild animals illegal.

The amendment is the first for China's Law on Wildlife Protection since it was fully adopted in 1989. The amendment is meant to prioritize the protection of wildlife in the country.

Like Us on Facebook

The law, which will be fully implemented next year, was adopted following its third reading at the National People's Congress Standing Committee's bi-monthly session.

The newly revised policy prohibits the sale and production of foods and other products derived from state-protected wild animals; the sale of food and products that do not fall under the special protection, but there is no adequate proof of source; and illegal purchase of state-protected wild animals for food. Anyone who violates all these will face criminal charges.

Furthermore, the law also strengthens the rules on the use of wild animals and products. The hunting, sale, purchase, and use of these animals and products derived from them would be prohibited. However, for scientific research, captive breeding, disease monitoring, and population regulation, to name a few, are allowed as long as the necessary permits are secured.

Meanwhile, under the new law, animals bred under controlled conditions through mature methods have been eliminated from the special protection list, and they will be regulated differently from the wild ones.

The law also seeks to control the release of captive animals back to the wild, stipulating that people who recklessly free captive animals that could damage property, inflict injury on other people, or jeopardize the ecosystem will be held liable.

Tagschina, wildlife protection, Law on Wildlife Protection