HUNTING LICENCE AUCTION STALLED IN CHINA

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China postpones hunting license auction

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