(CN) How to promote animal welfare in China

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How to promote animal welfare in China?

 

Source: Global Times [08:10 June 22 2009]

http://opinion.globaltimes.cn/observer/2009-06/438528.html

By Chang Jiwen

 

The first draft of China's first comprehensive animal protection law has

been completed by legal professionals and experts, and is now under

revision.

 

If adopted by China's national legislature, it will be major step forward

for promoting animal welfare in China.

 

Of course, the proposal was not made from scratch. It builds on existing

Chinese laws and policies that contain rules protecting animal welfare in

one way or another, such as the Law on the Protection of Wildlife, the

Animal Husbandry Law, and many others. However, none of these laws address

animal welfare systematically.

 

These laws don't even have the concept of animal welfare. It is hoped the

new draft law can improve on them.

 

The current draft is more comprehensive, clearly delineating how animals

should be raised, transported, and slaughtered in a more humane way. But it

may not be up to Western benchmarks, both in terms of its ideals and

practical application.

 

A principle of protecting animals rights widely accepted in the West is that

animals should enjoy " five freedoms " : " freedom from thirst and hunger;

freedom from discomfort; freedom from pain, injury and disease; freedom to

express normal behavior; freedom from fear and distress. "

 

Animals in China will certainly have to wait a long time to enjoy all these

freedoms. China is still a country where many human beings have not achieved

a decent, well-respected life.

 

Hence, our draft highlights preventing animal abuse. Under the new rules,

abandoning pets and cruelty to animals will be punished. Animal abuse is an

unambiguously evil behavior that must be ruled out by law.

 

Developing animal welfare is intrinsically valuable to animals. However, it

also has instrumental values that can benefit human beings. These are also

important motivations for drafting this law, in addition to protecting

animals for their own sakes.

 

First of all, enhancing animal welfare could boost China's animal exports.

China's animal husbandry industry is large, but animals raised in China and

Chinese animal products are hardly ever exported to the West.

 

One major reason is that China's standards of animal welfare cannot meet the

requirements in Western countries. Animal welfare standards have created a

serious trade barrier for China's animal exports.

 

Upholding animal welfare could also curb the negative effects of poor

relations between animals and humans. If Chinese had not recklessly fed on

wild animals, SARS, which inflicted great damage upon China a few years ago,

might not have happened.

 

Fair treatment of animals will carry forward one of the core Chinese moral

values, treasuring living creatures. This deeply humanitarian norm has

enabled Chinese to endure hard times and live in harmony with nature.

 

Hence, it is compatible with Chinese culture and will easily resonate with

Chinese people.

 

This article was compiled by Ao Lin based on an interview with the author,

director of the Social Law Research Department of the Chinese Academy of

Social Sciences and the key author of the draft law on animal protection.