Yao Shunwu, a deputy to the National People’s Congress [Photo/court.gov.cn]

The outbreak of COVID-19 has raised the demand to protect wildlife under the law and crack down on illegal and criminal activities that destroy wildlife resources to an unprecedented level.

The Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate stressed in a judicial interpretation released on Feb 6 that crimes of destroying wildlife resources, including all the related crimes ranging from illegal hunting to eating wild animals should be severely punished under the law.

On Feb 24, the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) passed a decision to ban illegal wildlife trade, eliminate the bad habit of eating wild animals and protect people’s lives, health and safety.

In recent years, courts in Huangshan in East China's Anhui province, hometown of Yao Shunwu, a, deputy to the National People's Congress, have punished all kinds of illegal and criminal acts such as destroying wildlife resources.

In particular, during the period of the epidemic prevention and control the courts have tried eight wildlife-related criminal cases, effectively subduing those kinds of criminal activities. At the same time, they have made efforts to publicize the laws on wildlife protection through circuit trials, court hearings and release of typical cases, so as to raise people's awareness of the protection of wildlife and the ecological environment and promote wildlife protection.

As a grassroots deputy to the NPC, Yao is in close contact with people, noting that many either lack knowledge about wildlife protection or have a concept of wild animals that is inconsistent with the law.

He said he hopes that courts can interpret the law in ways that are popular with the public and bring laws and regulations on wildlife protection closer to their lives. He also calls for the establishment of coordinated mechanisms between courts, procuratorates, public security organs and administrative law enforcement agencies for environmental resource preservation to create a favorable situation for wildlife protection.