Last month, angry Internet protest shut down plans for China’s first auction of hunting license quotas on suspicion the auction was money-making venture by the State Forestry Administration that didn’t take into account ecological protection. Having heard from the public, the SFA is now planning to go ahead with the auction, arguing that an increase in hunting will aid ecological protection efforts. From China Daily:
In response to the criticism, Du [Yongsheng, director of the police division of the State Forestry Administration] said at a news conference yesterday that the total income from the auction would be used for wildlife protection, and strict scientific evaluation is required to decide the number of animals entering the auction.
He said the auction is in line with China’s Forestry Law and Law on the Protection of Wildlife, and it is an international practice to hunt a certain number of wild animals if there are too many of them.
“For example, kangaroos are valuable in Australia. But the big population has harmed the environment, so the Australian Government allows certain quotas for kangaroo hunting every year,” Du said. [Full Text]
Restrictions on gun ownership in China mean most of the hunters given licenses in China are foreigners. China Adventure Travel (正安国旅) is one of the few tour agencies allowed to take foreign hunters on guided trips.
