Campaigners call on China to permanently ban wildlife trade after virus outbreak

09 February 2020
Campaigners call on China to permanently ban wildlife trade after virus outbreak
Photo: EPA

Campaigners from around the world are calling on China to make its temporary ban on the wildlife trade permanent to save wildlife and end the possibility of further virus outbreaks.

China has a massive market for live and dead wild animals and markets selling live animals are a potential source of new diseases for humans, campaigners say.

China is under lockdown, particularly Hubei and the city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus is thought to have emerged.

Campaigners say the temporary ban announced by China is welcome but not enough.

Many countries including Myanmar are caught up in the sale of wild animals and animal parts. Although there is no confirmation, evidence is pointing to a link to pangolins, many of which are trafficked into China from Myanmar.

Although there is a major market in China for food and products from wild animals in the mistaken believe that they have health benefits, there is a small but growing movement of activists in China and Hong Kong calling for the end to the wildlife trade, including elephant, rhinoceros and sharks fins.