One third of surveyed urbanites consume wildlife products in China

One third of surveyed urbanites consume wildlife products in China

 

www.chinaview.cn 2006-05-08 16:04:46

 

BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Out of 1,352 respondents from five major cities in China, 31.1 percent admitted they have consumed wildlife products, according to a survey conducted by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) China office.

 

The survey, initiated jointly by IFAW and Conservation International (CI), was conducted from June 2004 to March 2005 in five cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming and Chengdu.

 

Forty-three percent believe no wildlife should be used for consumption; 29.6 percent think captive-bred wild animals can be used for consumption; 9.1 percent believe the consumption of traditional Chinese medicine, health-care goods and cosmetics containing wild animal ingredients is acceptable; and 4.2 percent hold that all wildlife available on the market can be used for consumption.

 

"From the survey, we found that though many people realize wildlife should be protected, they fail to relate it to their daily life, and continue to consume products like animal-skin wallet or accouterments," said Hua Ning, the project manager with IFAW China.

 

"The point is, if people go on consuming wildlife without any restrictions, many species will end up extinct," she acknowledged.The report said the large volume of both legal and illegal trade in wildlife has caused great destruction to ecosystems and pushed many species to the verge of extinction.

 

According to the third annual report released by the Biodiversity Working Group of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (BWG/CCICED) in 1999, nearly 70 percent species of the mammals in China are endangered; the main causes are hunting and the destruction of their habitats.Enditem

 

 

 Editor: Lu Hui 

 

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-05/08/content_4522350.htm

 

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