China Releases Draft List of Animals Allowed for Farming and Consumption

China has strictly prohibited the farming and consumption of wildlife across the country amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A draft list of animals that are allowed to be farmed for their meat was released soon after.

The widespread belief that the coronavirus came from a Wuhan wildlife market triggered this decision for prohibition. The novel coronavirus has already infected over 1.6 million in most countries all over the globe.

After the outbreak, China banned all wildlife trade temporarily, although the ban has not yet been enacted into law. Last Wednesday, the Ministry of Agriculture released a list of all animals that can be considered livestock. This draft list includes the usual domestic livestock species, such as chickens, cows, sheep, and pigs. Besides, it also includes so-called "special livestock" like ostriches, alpaca, and deer. The two fox species, raccoons and minks, are also considered livestock but are prohibited from being used as meat.

Civet cats, bats, and pangolins are animals currently suspected as the origin of the novel coronavirus and are also thought to have transmitted the virus to people. These three are also included in the draft list.

Meanwhile, dogs are not in the list of animals considered as livestock. It means that if the list is formally endorsed, then this would be the first countrywide ban on dog consumption in China, and this is a major win for groups advocating for animal rights.

An explanation also accompanied the draft list, stating that due to the progress made by human civilization, as well as the preference and concern of the public for animal protection and rights, dogs are no longer considered livestock. They are now considered companion animals. It adds that dogs are not considered livestock in other countries; China, therefore, correspondingly followed suit.

The public can provide feedback on the draft list up to May 8, after which it will be finalized.

The Humane Society International stated on Thursday that the recently released draft list is a possible game-changer in the fight for animal protection and rights in China. Wendy Higgins, the spokeswoman for the Humane Society International, said that the list might pave the way for the country to officially remove cats and dogs from the list of food animals.

The novel coronavirus is thought to have come from a Wuhan, Hubei wet market that sells wild animals for meat, such as raccoon dogs, porcupines, and snakes. Wuhan is located in Central China. In many areas in Asia, the term "wet market" is used for markets selling perishable goods, fish, and meat. Wild animals are not commonly consumed as food in most parts of China; it nevertheless remains a very lucrative trade, particularly in China's southern region.

Experts say that if wildlife is caged in dirty conditions and close proximity to each other and humans, viruses can easily spread between both animals and humans.

Regardless of the ban on consuming wildlife in China, CNN has stated that it will still be hard to end the wildlife trade.