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comment The value of China’s ban on trade and consumption China’s decision to ban the trade and consumption of terrestrial wild , while controversial, is a viable response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ban has implications that extend beyond safeguarding human health to also help combat illegal and protect threatened species. Lian Pin Koh, Yuhan Li and Janice Ser Huay Lee

n the day when millions around Perhaps more importantly, from May due to be banned by the end of 2020, and the the world were ushering in the to July, the People’s Congress standing remaining 19 species (for example, several 2020 New Year, a seafood market committees at the national and provincial species of snakes) are allowed to be farmed O 9 in Wuhan, capital city of China’s Hubei levels conducted nation-wide evaluations for non-consumption uses . Furthermore, Province, was abruptly shut down. Animals on the effectiveness of these policies the disbursement of government financial sold in the market were suspected to be and their enforcement. The committees compensation to the affected the source of a novel coronavirus that had concluded that policies were generally by these new legislations, amounting to been transmitted to humans, resulting in an well implemented, but there was room for over a billion US dollars, is expected to be unidentified pneumonia, which the world improvement on certain aspects, including completed by the end of 2020. has come to know as COVID-19. finding alternative livelihoods for affected Third, the current ban is likely While this spillover effect from animals wildlife traders, continuing to revise the to galvanize rapid and widespread to humans has not been definitively protected species lists, and addressing knock-on actions and impacts. For established by the scientific community, loopholes in wildlife trade monitoring example, Guangdong has already banned China has moved swiftly to tackle this route and habitat conservation. In terms of wild animals as pets10. The of disease transmission. Following President positive outcomes, joint actions and special consumption of dogs and cats is banned Xi Jinping’s warning that the consumption operations from the government have in the city of Shenzhen11. of wildlife poses an immense risk to closed 12,000 wildlife-related businesses, scales are removed as a key ingredient in public health, the Standing Committee of intensified monitoring efforts to include traditional Chinese medicine, although the National People’s Congress adopted over four million e-commerce platforms, it is still included as an ingredient in an urgent decision on 24 February 2020 and removed 990,000 online sources of patent medicines in the 2020 Chinese to expand the scope of China’s Wildlife information associated with wildlife trade6. Pharmacopoeia12,13. The pre-COVID Protection Law to ban the consumption of Second, China’s current decision system in China, almost all wild animals1–3 (Box 1). includes a series of new legislations to build especially in its industry, on the achievements of current actions has long been criticized by conservationists A decision unprecedented in scope by enhancing the regulation of wildlife to be disordered and outdated. The lack and scale and markets (Box 1). The revision of incentives and capacities had been a This announcement sent shockwaves around of the country’s Wildlife Protection Law major barrier to change for government the globe, largely lauding it as an important is expected to bring about long-term and agencies in the country. The COVID-19 step in the right direction4. China’s decision systematic changes to . pandemic, at great human and economic is also unprecedented at several levels, which Additionally, China is also revising its List costs, has mainstreamed the discourse of could result in profound and far-reaching of Protected Animals. Species threatened wildlife conservation for human well-being, impacts for both humans and wildlife. by consumption, such as the pangolin and clarified legislations on what species can be First, this decision was initiated and yellow-breasted bunting, are being promoted farmed, and provided a policy framework adopted by China’s highest legislature — to the highest protection level (Class I for systematic and enforceable wildlife the Standing Committee of the National Wildlife species)7. Furthermore, China’s management and conservation. These People’s Congress — with the explicit Ministry of and Rural Affairs actions are exactly what scientists have endorsement of President Xi1,2. In contrast, published an updated Catalogue of long called for to minimize the risk of China’s response to the SARS outbreak Genetic Resource in May 2020. Among wild zoonotic disease transmission and outbreaks in 2003 — a short-lived ban on the trade animals, only species in this catalogue can be in the future14. and consumption of palm civets5 — was farmed or consumed8. There are 64 species initiated by various government agencies of wild animals that are being farmed for Recognizing risks from previous at lower legislative levels. In responding to consumption, but are not yet included in this experience the COVID-19 pandemic, the political will catalogue for various reasons (for example, Nevertheless, there still are concerns about in China has never been stronger or more to reduce the risk of sourcing animals from the long-term effectiveness of the ban15,16, overt across multiple levels of government6. the wild). Nevertheless, the Ministry of as similar interventions in the recent past Within a few months, all 31 provinces in Forestry and Grassland has categorized them have been short lived and have resulted in China have published provincial legislation into two groups: the farming of 45 species unintended consequences. For example, on wildlife farming and consumption. (for example, bamboo rat and civet cat) is after the 2003 SARS outbreak, the trade and

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offered in the form of meat17. When the Box 1 | Scope of China’s decision on the illegal trade and consumption of wild animals region was officially declared free of Ebola, frequency increased and China’s decision on the illegal trade and Apart from the nationally protected operations resumed openly. consumption of wild animals was adopted species list, each province has a Drawing from these past experiences, at the 16th Meeting of the Standing list of locally protected wildlife critics of China’s current decision Committee of the 13th National People’s species. warn that a singular focus on a wildlife Congress on 24 February 2020. Te Te decision adopted on 24 February trade ban could do more harm than following information was correct as of 10 2020 reinforces wildlife protection by good, if it disproportionately penalizes 1–3,18 December 2020 . ensuring: small-scale farmers and traders of wild China’s decision on banning the illegal (1) All wild animals protected under the animal protein while failing to provide trade and consumption of wild animals has alternative livelihoods, drives the trade direct bearing on the country’s Wildlife Wildlife Protection Law and other relevant laws of the People’s Republic and consumption of wildlife species Protection Law, a legislation implemented underground, or overlooks the loss of in 1989 and revised in 2018 to increase of China are prohibited from be- ing hunted, traded, transported or natural wildlife habitats as an underlying state-level protection for China’s wildlife. driver of zoonotic disease transmission15,16. Te law covers fve chapters and 58 consumed. articles and include provisions on wildlife (2) All terrestrial wild animals includ- The way forward ownership, scope of protection, protection ing those with important ecological, Obviously, there is much to be gained from and management mechanisms, and scientifc or societal values, and those leveraging the unprecedented political will penalties for law violation. Under this law that are artifcially bred or raised, are and public desire in China to improve its are three lists for species protection at the banned from consumption. legislative oversight for regulating wildlife national level: (3) All terrestrial wild animals that natu- trade and consumption. Closing down • Class I Wildlife species rally grow and reproduce in the wild the farms is only among the first steps. • Class II Wildlife species are also prohibited from being hunted, Much more can be done. We provide a few • Wildlife species of strong ecological, traded or transported for the purpose suggestions as follows. scientifc or societal value of their consumption. As the government will probably not have sufficient resources and capacities to monitor the wildlife market over Exceptions to decision the long term, it is vital to encourage the participation of non-governmental , poultry and other animals in the Catalogue of organizations and the public. The public Animal Genetic Resource will continue to be regulated by should have easy access to species China’s Law information, their permitted uses and how to file a complaint, in order to facilitate detecting and reporting illegal cases. New Fish and other aquatic wildlife will continue to be regulated by China’s Fishery Law technologies, such as machine learning, will also be helpful for species identification and handling public complaints. Policymakers need to be aware of the Wild are not included in the ban adverse impacts of this ban on marginalized groups, and provide sufficient support to them. These groups should include, but not be limited to, segments of society that Animals and animal products for non-edible use, including for scientific research, medicinal use and display, will continue to are still dependent on wildlife for essential be regulated by existing laws, such as the Wildlife Protection protein, and wildlife farmers who are Law and Traditional Chinese Medicine Law. suffering economic hardships. and reptilian species, including turtles and To further mitigate the risk of zoonotic bullfrogs, listed in the National Catalogue of Economically disease transmission, it is also important to Important Aquatic and Animal Resource and the new List of Aquatic Species, are regulated under China’s Fishery minimize our exposure to disease vectors Law, and not included in the ban. and sources by halting further degradation and destruction of wildlife habitats. The establishment of a National Park system in China is an excellent opportunity to consumption of palm civets were banned West Africa during the Ebola virus disease conserve natural and manage temporarily in China, and farmed civets outbreak from 2013–2016. The widespread human–wildlife interactions. were culled in Guangdong5. That ban was ban deprived many local communities Through this crisis, China has the eventually reversed due to pressure from of their primary source of protein and potential to be a global leader in managing wildlife farmers and traders who suffered drove the bushmeat trade underground17. domestic and international wildlife trade severe economic impacts. Wildlife farming Hunters and bushmeat traders were most by expanding its domestic enforcement quickly resumed, and was even promoted by affected by the ban as they were offered efforts to international trade, especially if it local officials for job creation and economic no compensation and were not able to is related to the Chinese market. Particularly, recovery. Elsewhere, bushmeat hunting take up informal loans to tide over their when adjusting the national categories and consumption were banned across loss of livelihood since collateral was of protected animals, policymakers

Nature Sustainability | VOL 4 | January 2021 | 2–4 | www.nature.com/natsustain 3 comment

need to take into consideration existing Published online: 19 January 2021 8. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Afairs announces National https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-00677-0 Animal Genetic Resources Catalog (Ministry of Agriculture and international lists, such as the appendix of Rural Afairs, 2020); http://go.nature.com/3af1jXt the Convention on International Trade in 9. Notice of the Ministry of Forestry and Grassland on the Classifed of Wild Fauna and Flora References Management of the Wild Animals Consumption Ban (Ministry of (CITES) and the International Union for 1. Zhang, M. Decision of the Standing Committee of the National Forestry and Grassland, 2020); http://go.nature.com/3moPIaO People’s Congress on Banning Illegal Wildlife Trade, the 10. Guangdong Province Wildlife Protection and Management Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Consumption of Wild Animals and Protecting People’s Health and Regulations (Guangdong Provincial Department of Agriculture Threatened Species. The Chinese ban may Safety (Te National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of and Rural Afairs, 2020); https://go.nature.com/2IR3EwJ not be a perfect model for others, but every China, 2020); http://go.nature.com/3agU1Cy. 11. Shenzhen becomes frst Chinese city to ban eating cats and dogs. 2. Hu, L. & Bai, Y. Ban on illegal wildlife trade and consumption BBC (2 April 2020); http://go.nature.com/3mpCrPk country could have some takeaways from of wild animals - an interview with the Legal Work Committee 12. Leng, S. & Wan, L. Pangolin ofcially removed from TCM list. its successes and challenges, and develop of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. Global Times (9 June 2020); http://go.nature.com/37kkyNs their own feasible and culturally nuanced Xinhuanet (24 February 2020); http://go.nature.com/2LxNaud. 13. Alberts, E. C. Did China really ban the ? Not quite, 3. Notice of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Afairs on investigators say. Mongabay (24 June 2020); http://go.nature. solutions. In China’s case, a ban is the implementing the Decision of the Standing Committee of the com/3oMbGpY right decision. ❐ National People’s Congress to abolish the overconsumption of wild 14. Zhang, L., Hua, N. & Sun, S. Biodivers. Conserv. 17, animals (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Afairs of the People’s 1493–1516 (2008). 15. Ribeiro, J., Bingre, P., Strubbe, D. & Reino, L. Nature 578, Lian Pin Koh 1 ✉ , Yuhan Li2 and Republic of China, 2020); http://go.nature.com/2IQH9I9 4. Dixon, M. WCS statement and analysis: on the Chinese 217 (2020). 3 Janice Ser Huay Lee government’s decision prohibiting some trade and consumption 16. Roe, D. et al. World Dev. 136, 105121 (2020). 1Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, of wild animals. WCS Newsroom (26 February 2020); 17. Bonwitt, J. et al. Soc. Sci. Med. 200, 166–173 (2018). 18. Yu, C. Wildlife Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China and Department of Biological Sciences, National http://go.nature.com/3akMXF0 5. Cheng, M. H. Lancet Infect. Dis. 7, 14 (2007). (Te National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China, University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. 6. Shen, Y. Report of the law enforcement inspection group of the 2020); https://go.nature.com/3gPOww0 2Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science, Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on inspecting Department of Zoology, and School of Geography the implementation of the “Decision of the Standing Committee of Acknowledgements the National People’s Congress on banning illegal wildlife trade, the L.P.K. is supported by the Singapore National Research and Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. consumption of wild animals and protecting people’s health and Foundation (NRF-RSS2019-007). Y.L. is supported by the 3Asian School of the Environment, Earth Observatory safety” and the Wildlife Protection Law (Te National People’s Rhodes Scholarship. Singapore, Nanyang Technological University of Congress of the People’s Republic of China, 2020); http://go.nature.com/3af13HZ Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. 7. Notice on Soliciting Public Opinions on the List of National Key Competing interests ✉e-mail: [email protected] Protected Species (2020); http://go.nature.com/3mhlV41. The authors declare no competing interests.

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