Shanghai enacts comprehensive wild animal conservation law
Prohibiting the feeding, eating and hunting of wildlife has been written into law in Shanghai, the Shanghai People's Congress, the city's legislature, unveiled on Tuesday.
A new law with a total of 37 regulations on wild animal conservation was passed by the SPC to further enrich and optimize wildlife management measures.
Article 26 specifies prohibition on feeding wild animals that naturally grow and reproduce in the wild environment. It also pointed out if local residents find the population of wild animals growing abnormally, they can report to local government to ask for control.
As one case, it turns prohibited to feed raccoon dogs, which have been spotted more frequently in Shanghai's neighborhoods in recent years partly due to people's feeding.
Raccoon dogs enjoy dinner at a residential complex.
The law also focuses on dividing the protection responsibilities and power, establishing an asylum system for wild animals, improving the city's wildlife habitat system, as well as promoting co-work on wildlife conservation in all walks of life.
As Shanghai is located on a key point on bird migration routes, the law strengthens the protection of migratory birds.
The coastal wetland ecosystem and forest, and agricultural ecosystem in Shanghai are the main habitats for migratory birds. As such it's also recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources and World Wildlife Fund, as one of the important stopping points and ecologically sensitive areas on the bird migration route between East Asia and Australia.
Black-headed gulls migrate to Shanghai suburban Qingpu District in winter.
The law stipulates, for wildlife originating from the city and with very small populations, various measures such as relocation, on-site protection, reintroduction and establishment of resource banks should be implemented.
Officials from the Shanghai Landscaping & City Appearance Administration Bureau stated that they will establish city-level and district-level wildlife shelters and rescue systems, along with the agricultural and rural departments with corresponding professionals, rescue tools, equipment and drugs. They will also unveil information about wildlife shelter and rescue institutions to the public.
The law stipulates every November to be the promotional month for wildlife protection, and the second week in April the bird-loving week.
Shanghai's first version law of wild animal protection was enacted in 1993. It was abolished in 2020, before the new law was put into discussion.
The new law will take effect from October 1.
