On 7 Apr. 2022, China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) and Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) jointly issued the “Interpretation on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Handling Criminal Cases of Destruction of Wildlife Resources” (《关于办理破坏野生动物资源刑事案件适用法律若干问题的解释》, hereinafter referred to as the “Interpretation”).
This Interpretation is aimed at addressing the rampant wildlife damage in China. For now, the crime of destroying wildlife resources has formed a profit chain of “poaching and trafficking”. Therefore, the judicial authority considers it necessary to stamp out not only the initial “poaching” section, but also the follow-up “trafficking” chain.
The promulgation of the Interpretation has reinforced the crackdown on the wildlife crime.
It stipulates that anyone who purchases or sells aquatic products or wild animals obtained through illegal fishing or hunting shall be convicted of and punished for the crime of covering up or concealing criminal proceeds
It also clarifies the standards on conviction and sentencing for a newly-added crime in the Amendment (XI) to the Criminal Law, namely the crime of illegally hunting, purchasing, transporting, and selling terrestrial wildlife for food purposes.
Cover Photo by Sergio Capuzzimati on Unsplash