[Crisis Update] China wildlife crime prosecutions up sharply after COVID-19 outbreak

    1. China has been prosecuting more than 15,000 people for wildlife-related crimes in the first nine months of the year, up 66% from 2019, state prosecutors said, as authorities moved to enforce a ban on trafficking imposed after the outbreak of COVID-19.
    2. The Supreme People’s Procuratorate said in a statement published on its website on Monday (Nov 9) that almost 7,000 of the total arrests involved the violation of fishing restrictions.
    3. Around 4,000 people were prosecuted for illegal hunting and 3,000 for illegally purchasing, transporting and selling endangered wild animal products.
    4. The procuratorate warned that a large proportion of the illegal wildlife business had shifted online, with traders using e-commerce platforms to sell prohibited wild animals.
    5. China’s legislature issued a resolution in February that promised to ban the sale and consumption of wild animals, but new legislation is expected to include exemptions for the fur and traditional Chinese medicine trades.

    What is your plan for crisis control? Need help managing your organization crisis? Each crisis is different, if you have a crisis contact us immediately at https://www.crisismanagementcentre.com/contact-us/

    We are ready to manage your crisis.