China OK's hunting of endangered species
BEIJING, China (Reuters) -- China is to auction licenses to
foreigners to hunt wild animals, including endangered species, a
newspaper said on Wednesday.
The government would auction licenses based on types and numbers of
wild animals, ranging from about $200 for a wolf, the only
carnivore on the list, to as much as $40,000 for a yak, the Beijing
Youth Daily said.
The auction, taking place on Sunday in Chengdu, capital of the
southwestern province of Sichuan, would be the first of its kind in
Chinese history, it added.
"Some animals are from the first and second category of national
wildlife protection, but with the strict limitations in place, the
hunting could not destroy wild animal populations," the daily
said.
The report made no mention of the endangered giant panda, some
1,500 of which survive in nature reserves in southwestern
China.
Five western areas, including Qinghai, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces
and the autonomous regions of Ningxia and Xinjiang, are involved in
the auction.
Hunting of animals is popular with Chinese who like to eat exotic
meats or use animal parts in medicines for their perceived
aphrodisiac or medicinal properties.
But the hunting licenses would be available only to foreigners,
given China's strict rules on gun control, the daily said.
"Hunting is not slaughtering," it quoted an official at a wild
animal protection department as saying.
Proceeds from the auction
would be used for wild animal protection, the report
said.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/08/09/china.hunt.reut/index.html[/b]