Guest guest Posted August 11, 2006 Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 Auction hunts stirs controversies (Xinhua) 2006-08-11 China's first-ever auction of licenses for hunting wild animals, scheduled for Sunday, has triggered controversies after a Beijing newspaper released the news Wednesday. The Beijing Youth Daily said in its Wednesday edition that foreigners would be allowed to hunt wild animals like yak when they become successful bidders at the auction to take place in Chengdu, capital of southwestern Sichuan Province. The planned auction, however, was criticized by some angry Chinese netizens as a profit-driven move that would have a fatal impact on wild life conservation in China, where the situation is not encouraging. An official with the State Forestry Administration (SFA), organizer of the auction and China's watchdog for wild life, defended the move on Thursday, saying that wild animals such as wolf, red deer and yak among the auction hunts are not endangered species and appropriately-managed hunting is helpful for their protection. Chinese government has strengthened wild life conservation over the past decades and the population of some wild animals has been increasing so quickly that they have become a burden on the local ecological system, Wang Weisheng, an official with SFA's wildlife and plants protection department, told Xinhua. Wang also confirmed that foreigners will be allowed to hunt in eight western areas including Sichuan, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Gansu and Xinjiang , but the exact species and quotes are not decided yet. Once a foreigner wins a hunting license, the hunter will pay 200 U.S. dollars for a wolf, 6,000 dollars for a red deer, and 10,000 U.S. dollars for an argali, or wild Asiatic sheep with big horns " The hunting quotas we set for each species this time are quite limited and only the old ones are allowed to be killed, so as to ensure the trophy hunting would not have a negative impact on the wild life population, " said Wang. " What's more, the money from the auction will be used for protection of endangered species, " he said. Wang's comments won support from the forestry authorities in Sichuan, which have received a rising number of reports on wild animals, especially vegetarian ones, intruding local villages and destroying crops. Take takins for instance. The rising population of the ruminant mammal with backward-pointing horns and a shaggy coat, which was put under national protection in the 1960s and has been listed in the auction hunts, have even threatened the living of wild giant pandas, said Wang Hongjia, head of the Sichuan provincial station for wildlife resources survey and administration. " The two species live in the same mountainous area and we've found takins are obviously in a stronger position in habitat and food competition, " said Wang. " Even though, hunting for takins would be allowed only in designated areas and when the animals are not in their oestrum or breeding period, " said Wang. Though a novelty in China, sales of licenses for hunting wild animals, or trophy hunting, takes place in some African countries. It has also aroused wide objection from animal lovers and wildlife protection organizations as rare animals, like elephant and rhinoceros which were prohibited for trade by international pact, were also on the target list due to an excessive population in a certain country. " We are against Sunday's auction hunts. The point is well-meaning polices do not always result in an ideal way. Some people may have the wrong idea that the government is loosening protection for wild animals and those who have money can do what they want, " Yang Xin, head of Green River, a Chengdu-based non-governmental organization for environment protection, told Xinhua. Yang's organizations have successfully carried out times of wildlife researches in the Hoh Xil, a major habitat of the endangered Tibetan antelope in southwestern China, and around the source of the Yangtze River in Qinghai Province. " We've found the wildlife population did begin to recover in these areas after the local government confiscated guns from local residents, but we are not very sure if their wild population are stable enough for hunting, " said Yang. " Even if the number of some wild animal was so much as to cause troubles, trophy hunting is not the best solution now, " he said. Yang suggested that a compensation mechanism should be established as soon as possible to ensure both the living rights of wild animals and economic benefits of local residents can be properly guaranteed. " The government can set up a special fund for those who suffered from wild animal intrusion, which is helpful for local residents to maintain their just-formed habit to protect wildlife, " said Yang. O'gorman Dermot, chief representative of World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) China branch, also urged the Chinese government to pay special attention to the species selection and quota setting when carrying out trophy hunting. " Trophy hunting to some species does occur in some countries and it can help with conservation for some species in some countries and also improve livelihoods of local communities when it was scientifically based and properly managed, but of course, we don't support trophy hunting to some endangered or threatened species, " the WWF China chief told Xinhua. " There must be clear laws and guidelines on the quotas (for trophy hunting) that allocated and professional hunting standards for what type of animals can be targeted, " said Dermot, adding special attention should be given on monitoring the hunting process. According to Wang Hongjia, the forestry authorities concerned have been required to assign special workers to accompany foreign hunters during the whole hunting process to make sure trophy hunting is properly conducted. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-08/11/content_662194.htm ................................... Auction on wildlife hunting licenses suspended Gu Jia 2006-08-11 CHINA postponed its first auction of wildlife hunting licenses, which was originally scheduled on Sunday, following a public outcry, the wildlife authority said this morning. " The public response to the auction is much more active than expected, " Xinhua news agency said, citing Cao Qiangyao, a spokesperson for the State Forestry Administration. " We will pick a proper time to hold the auction after soliciting public opinions. " The planned auction has prompted criticism on Websites that such hunting was inappropriate and that the sale of licenses was commercially motivated. Wang Wei, a vice director of the administration's wildlife protection department, said that the country has conducted international wildlife hunting for 20 years since 1985. " The auction will help the administration regulate the market, and the issuance of hunting licenses will help curb illegal hunts, " Wang said. He also said that the auction is also open to licensed Chinese hunters. The planned auction this Sunday involved 289 animals of 14 species, three species of which are under first-level state protection and 11 of which are under second-level protection, the report said. Currently, China has 25 international hunting areas open to overseas hunters only. The hunting quantity of each hunter has been raised from three per year to 123 per year in 2005, it said. Overseas hunters have to strictly follow international practices that only " male animals rather than female ones, and older animals rather than young ones are hunted, " Wang said. By end of last year, China has received 1,101 overseas hunters, who have paid US$36.39 million yuan for their 1,347 quarries, the report said. " It will be an efficient way for local residents to raise their income, " Wang said. " And most of the income from hunting will be used to protect local wild animals. " The basic price for a wild yak will be US$40,000 and for an ovis ammon US$10,000, a blue sheep will cost US$2,500; and a cervus elaphus will cost US$6,000, said a previous report. Carnivores and fowls are not included in the hunting. But wolves are an exception and will cost US$200 each, it said. Chinese story http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2006-08/11/content_4950137.htm http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2006/08/11/288851/Auction_on_wildlife_hunting_l\ icenses_suspended.htm ................................... Scramble for wild animal hunting quotas dogged by controversy Shanghai Daily Zhang Liuhao 2006-08-12 THE State Forestry Administration (SFA) said yesterday that the country's first-ever auctioning of hunting quotas originally scheduled for Sunday was postponed. Xinhua news agency quoted SFA spokesman Cao Qingyao as saying: " The auction will be held in a proper way after soliciting suggestions from the public. " But he did not give a specific date. Cao's remark came after angry Chinese Internet users attacked the auctioning as profit-driven. But SFA said the animals proposed for hunting were not endangered species. The Chinese government has strengthened wild life conservation over the past decade and the population of some wild animals has been increasing so quickly that they have somehow become a burden on the local ecological system. Legitimate hunting Take takins for instance. The rising population of this ruminant mammal with backward-pointing horns and a shaggy coat, which was put under national protection in the 1960s and has been listed in the auction hunts, have even threatened the habitat of wild giant pandas. Once the two species lived in the same mountainous area but the takins were in a much stronger position in terms of habitat and food. Wang Wei, a deputy director of the administration's wildlife protection department, said the sale of these quotas and licences will be a first for China, but he added that legitimate wild animal hunting has been available to foreigners in the country for about 20 years. This auction will be a test of some market-oriented practices being considered for the improvement of the conservation of wild animals, Wang said. The administration used to review applications for wild animal hunting case by case, and the procedure was quite complicated. The originally planned auction is expected to be more efficient and transparent. Properly planned wild animal hunting is in line with the international practice. In 2001, 13 million Americans above 16 years old participated in wild animal unting, generating a revenue of more than US$20 billion for the US. Despite SFA' elaborations, many Chinese netizens still show strong concerns. Some questioned whether the populations of some species had actually grown to saturation, speculating that many are still recovering. Many are worried that hunting will break the zoological balance, precisely the opposite to what the organizers are expecting. Wang Wei noted the hunting quotas and licences stipulate where, when, what and how many to kill. A total of 289 animals across 14 species, including blue sheep, yak and red deer, are on the list, and hunting ranges are confined to eight provinces and autonomous regions - Sichuan, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia and Hunan. Hunters will also have to pay for their quarries. A blue sheep will cost US$2,500; a red deer US$6,000; and wild yak US$40,000, the most expensive. Wang said certain principles will apply to the hunting - male animals taken rather than female ones and older animals rather than those in the prime of life. An available estimate showed if the number of hunted wild animals accounts for less than 18 percent of the annual growth of the wild animals in a region, hunting will not militate the local ecological environment. Be wary Animal experts said that in China's west, some species, such as blue sheep and boar, have reproduced rapidly due to the decrease of their natural enemies and an increase in protective efforts, posing a threat to their respective environments. Proper hunting will help adjust the number of wild animals of different species. Some netizens, however, think the practice is purely driven by the quest for profits. Many eligible bidders are travel agencies. Once the managed hunting becomes a tourism project, it is likely to be twisted into an excessive massacre, one netizen suggested. Wang pledged that all the income from the auction will be used for wild animal protection. Last year, international hunters killed more than 700 wild animals in China, and contributed funds totalling more than US$4 million to wildlife conservation. http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2006/08/12/288859/Scramble_for_wild_animal_hunt\ ing_quotas_dogged_by_controversy.htm .................................... This dog won't hunt - for now Xinhua 2006-08-12 CHINA'S State Forestry Administration said yesterday that the country's first auction of hunting quotas scheduled for Sunday has been postponed after an angry outpour from the public. " The auction will be held in a proper way after soliciting suggestions from the public, " said SFA spokesman Cao Qingyao, without specifying the timing. Irate Chinese Internet users criticized plans to auction the right to hunt 289 animals that are members of 14 species under national protection. The Internet users charged the hunt was purely profit driven. The SFA, also China's wildlife protection agency, said the animals were not endangered species and that controlled hunting would help their growth. Wang Wei, deputy director of wildlife protection at the SFA, said the auction would increase transparency and efficiency in the hunting industry. " The (angry) response from the public was beyond our expectation, however, " Wang said. Only foreigners would have been allowed to bid on the right to hunt animals such as the red deer. The auction was scheduled to take place in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. Chinese were to be restricted from the auction because they are not allowed to own firearms. Foreigners were previously allowed to hunt in China only after completing a complicated application process. China had earned US$36.39 million by the end of last year by permitting 1,101 foreigners to hunt 1,347 animals since 1985. China's hunting quota rose from three animals in 1985 to 123 in 2005. The country has opened 25 hunting ranges to foreigners. The government has improved wildlife conservation, and the booming population of some animals has become a burden on local ecosystems, according to Wang. Wang's comments were supported by forestry authorities in Sichuan, which has reported that an increasing number of wild animals are destroying crops and injuring people. The rising population of takins, which are similar to antelope, have threatened wild giant pandas, said Wang Hongjia, head of the Sichuan provincial station for wildlife resources survey and administration. " The two species live in the same mountain area and compete for habitat, " said Wang. http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2006/08/12/288946/This_dog_won__039_t_hunt___fo\ r_now.htm ................................... China postpones hunting license auction zeenews ZeeNews Beijing, Aug 11: China on Friday postponed its plan to auction the country's first ever licences to hunt yaks and other non-endangered wild animals following a public outcry against the move. " The auction will be held in a proper way after soliciting suggestions from the public, " the spokesman of China's State Forestry Administration (SFA) Cao Qingyao said. However, he did not give a date. The auction of quotas for 289 animals of 14 species, scheduled for Sunday drew sharp criticism from the Chinese Internet users who termed the move as purely profit-driven. However, the SFA, also China's wildlife protection agency, said the animals proposed for hunting were not endangered species and restricted hunting would help their protection. Deputy director of wildlife protection at the SFA, Wang Wei said the planned auction would increase transparency and efficiency in the hunting industry. " The response from the public is beyond our expectation, " Wang said. According to earlier plans, foreigners would have been allowed to hunt animals like yak if they successfully bid at the auction planned in Chengdu, capital of southwestern Sichuan province. Foreigners were previously allowed to hunt in China only after going through complicated application procedures. By the end of last year, China had garnered USD 36.39 million by allowing 1,101 foreigners to hunt 1,347 animals since 1985, Xinhua news agency reported. According to the proposal, once a foreigner wins a hunting license, the hunter will pay USD 200 for a wolf, USD 6,000 for a red deer and USD 10,000 for an argali, or wild Asiatic sheep with big horns. The government has been strengthening wildlife conservation and the booming population of some animals has become a burden on local ecological system, Wang was quoted as saying. " The authorities could not be more cautious as it is the first such auction in china. The public opinion should be fully taken into consideration, " Yang Xin, head of Green River, a Chengdu-based non-governmental organisation on environment protection, said while welcoming the postponement. He said green river opposed the auction of hunting quotas as it could lead to a misunderstanding that the government is loosening protection of wild animals and the rich could hunt without restriction. Bureau Report http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=314895 & sid=WOR .................................... China postpones hunting auction BBC Friday, 11 August 2006, China has postponed a controversial auction of licences for foreigners to hunt wild animals, including endangered species, according to local media. The auction would have offered the right to hunt yaks, wolves and other wild animals in five western provinces. But the State Forestry Administration said on Friday that the auction - which had been due on Sunday - would be delayed until a later date. Public hostility to the idea played a part in the decision, officials said. " The response from the public is beyond our expectation, " the official Xinhua news agency quoted SFA official Wang Wei as saying. The licences were due to cover five areas of western China - Qinghai, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces and the autonomous regions of Ningxia and Xinjiang. China's official media earlier said that a licence to hunt a wolf could go for about $200 (£105), while permission to shoot a yak could be as much as $40,000 (£21,000). Shooting an argali, a large wild sheep, was set to cost about $10,000 (£5,000) while a blue sheep would cost $2,500 (£1,300), newspapers said. The China Daily newspaper reported that foreign hunters are an important source of revenue for some provinces. Last spring and autumn, about 150 foreign hunters from countries including the United States, Spain and Mexico spent nearly $4m hunting in north and south-west China, the paper said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4783067.stm __ Check out gigs in your area on the comprehensive Music Gig Guide http://au.music./gig-guide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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