Wildlife Consumption in China

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is believed to have originated in China’s wet markets which sell wildlife for consumption. This has raised questions about the safety and hygiene of such practices.

China’s Biodiversity

China is one of the mega-biodiversity countries. Its territory (constituting only 6.5% of the world’s territory) houses 10% of all the plant species and 14% of all animal species in the world. China has 14% of the vertebrate species, 20% of fish species and over 13% of avian species of the world. There are 711 species of mammals and 210 species of amphibians in China.

Species in China

China houses species like pangolins, Asiatic elephants, Asiatic brown and black bears, Siberian tigers, Mongolian gazelles, etc. Species that are unique to the country like the giant panda, South China tiger, golden-haired monkey, and the Chinese river dolphin are also found here.

Great Leap Forward

The Great Leap Forward was a social and economic campaign implemented in China between 1958 and 1962. It was enforced by Mao Zedong, the Chinese dictator, to convert the country’s agrarian economy to an industrialised one. It led to the death of 18 to 45 million people, mainly due to starvation, violence and disease. It is considered as one of the reasons for popularisation of wildlife consumption in China.

Wildlife Protection Law

Due to food scarcity, the population resorted to mass hunting and wildlife consumption. Though these were practiced only by a small group of people previously, it became a national practice. The 1988 Wildlife Protection Law declared the state ownership of wildlife resources. Through this law, the state promoted rearing of wildlife, to eradicate poverty.