(CN) China's Wild Animal Markets - AAF Press Release

[Guest guest]

PRESS RELEASE (for immediate release)

 

URGENT CALLS TO CLOSE DOWN CHINA'S WILD ANIMAL MARKETS

ESCALATE..

 

Despite recent efforts by the Chinese Government in

banning the sale of wild animals in markets throughout

the country as a temporary measure against SARS, the

Animals Asia Foundation has found clear evidence of

traders ignoring these regulations.

 

On Monday, 12th May 2003, Animals Asia investigators

visited the notorious Hua Nam Wild Animal Market in

Guangzhou in southern China and witnessed an " animal

stew " of wild, endangered and domestic species, crushed

together and openly for sale.

 

As the team walked through the market, believed by some

to be at the centre of the SARS outbreak, they filmed

cages and crate loads of masked palm civets, ferret

badgers, barking deer, wild boars, hedgehogs, foxes,

squirrels, bamboo rats, various species of snakes and

endangered leopard cats, together with dogs, cats,

rabbits and gerbils.

 

As some of the traders attempted to hide their stash of

wild animals, others insisted that theirs were captive

bred - seemingly ignoring the fact that many animals

showed bloody stumps, where their limbs had been

severed in leg-hold traps in the wild.

 

As the mainland is coping with the effects of SARS,

panic also abounds as pet dogs and cats are abandoned

and killed throughout the country as a result of

unproved connections to the SARS virus to animal

species and general misinformation. Whilst the origin

of the disease may be animal related, it is important

to note that with regard to transmission, a World

Health Organisation expert has been quoted as saying

that human-animal or animal to human transmission is

highly unlikely. " Our expert, James Maguire said

clearly that dogs and cats are not involved " said World

Health Organisation (WHO) spokeswoman Mangai

Balasegaram. Both Animals Asia and local groups are

imploring local authorities and the general public not

to overreact and target and kill pets.

 

Animals Asia Veterinary Director, Dr. Gail Cochrane

agrees, stating that to her knowledge no dog or cat has

developed SARS. But, she also notes that the wild

animal markets in China, where all species are held

together in unnaturally close concentration under

tremendous stress, are a potential breeding ground for

new and deadly strains of disease. " Even if the SARS

virus did not evolve from animals in the markets, the

conditions present an ideal environment in which other

unknown or new viruses may incubate and emerge. The

only way to minimise the threat of new viruses being

transmitted is to close the markets down. "

 

Jill Robinson MBE, Founder & CEO of Animals Asia,

believed that whilst it was a positive first step by

the Government in temporarily banning the sale and

consumption of wild animals, the traders who are

flouting these regulations prove that immediate and

strict enforcement is required. " We appeal to the

Central Government to close these miserable markets

once and for all, in order to protect the global

community from possible future disease and end a trade

which has seen decades of suffering for wild and

domestic animals in China " she said.

 

Echoing this plea, local Hong Kong Legislators and

political advisors have also joined Animals Asia in the

call for ending the trade and consumption in wild

animals: Hong Kong Legislator Dr. David Chu Yu-lin JP,

Member of China's National People's Congress and Mr.

M.K. Tan, Member of the Chinese People's Political

Consultative Conference, stated that they support the

closure of all wild animal markets in China - and also

support ending the trade and consumption of wild and

endangered species. Mr. Chu and Mr. Tan went further

and called for the end of the consumption of domestic

animals such as cats and dogs, in the belief that their

help and companionship to humanity should now be

recognised in China.

 

In China today, Mr. Chen Run Shen, the Secretary

General of the China Wildlife Conservation Association

(CWCA) Government Department in Beijing, also confirmed

that he supported banning the hunting, trade and

consumption of wild animals, adding that " the wild

animal trade has direct conflict with the progression

of a civilised society, and has also brought direct

harm and damage to the animals themselves " .

 

Ends....

 

For further information (and stills and footage Hua Nan

Wild Animal Market on 12th May 2003), please contact:

 

Jill Robinson MBE - Founder & CEO, Animals Asia

Foundation, HKG - (852) 27193340 or Mobile (852)

90958405 or jrobinson

 

For stills & footage please contact Annie Mather -

Media Director, Animals Asia Foundation, HKG - (852)

2521 0982 or amather

 

Website: www.animalsasia.org

 

***********************************************************