China vows to continue crackdown on hunting of protected birds

Chinese government and judicial authorities have pledged to jointly continue cracking down on the illegal hunting and trafficking of birds, employing the most rigorous legal measures to protect the environment and ecosystem.

With five notable bird-related cases released on Friday, the Supreme People's Court (SPC), the Ministry of Public Security and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration have emphasized cooperation in the fight against those who harm protected wild bird species.

"Protecting wild birds is crucial for safeguarding the ecosystems vital to human survival," said Wu Zhaoxiang, chief judge at the SPC's Environment and Resources Division.

"We hope the public can learn from these disclosed cases, enhance their legal awareness to resist actions that harm these animals, and actively participate in environmental conservation efforts."

Wu urged courts nationwide to take judicial measures to harshly punish people involved in the illegal hunting and trafficking of key protected wild birds, calling for a stronger collective effort across society to protect the animals.

In one published case, a man with the surname Dong used tools including glue nets to capture more than 880 wild birds, including a significant number of yellow-breasted buntings, which are classified as a national first-class protected species.

Dong was ultimately sentenced to seven years in prison and fined 30,000 yuan ($4,285) for the crime of harming precious wildlife.

"Birds and other wild animals are precious natural resources and an important part of the natural ecosystem," said Li Chunjie, deputy head of the Ministry of Public Security's division for investigating cases related to food and medicine safety and environmental protection.

Li added that the goal is to resolutely eliminate threats to public security.

Police in China have vowed to adopt a "zero-tolerance" approach to crimes that harm birds and other wildlife through the use of illegal tools, with the use of measures such as the confiscation of modified drones, snares, traps, bird nets and other hunting equipment.