At the press conference sponsored by the State Council Information Office last week, Wang Wei, deputy director of Department of Wildlife Conservation under the State Forestry Administration, briefed the press on animal welfare and market supervision.
The State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) operates as a market supervision and administrative enforcement agency and has been involved recently in activities to protect wild animals.
SAIC says those who are engaged in selling, purchasing, domesticating and breeding, transporting wild animals under special state protection, should acquire approvals or administrative licenses from corresponding authorities. Those without licenses or approvals will be punished.
When purchasing, selling and processing wild animals, the operators will need to provide corresponding licenses and quarantine certificates granted by Animals Inspection and Quarantine Authority.
Efforts in market supervision have been enhanced. For instance, the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce has forbidden 'Wild Animals Dishes' advertisements in all restaurants.
During each Spring Festival holiday, the Administrative Authorities for Industry and Commerce at all levels will carry out specialized campaigns of market inspection. In these campaigns, rigorous control of illegal selling, purchasing of wild animals and their processed products will be one of the focuses.
