China cracks down on illegal bird hunting, wildlife crimes

BEIJING -- Chinese police have launched a nationwide campaign to crack down on crimes endangering birds and other wildlife in the latest effort to bolster ecological conservation.

Running from June to December, the operation targets illegal hunting, especially those involving firearms and drones, as well as illegal wildlife consumption via online platforms, the Ministry of Public Security said on Thursday.

Authorities will conduct full-chain strikes spanning poaching, purchasing and distribution of wildlife to dismantle criminal gangs.

The ministry vowed to sever gray and dark-market industrial chains, build a robust ecological security barrier, and promote harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

Police will also strengthen law enforcement cooperation with other countries to tackle cross-border wildlife crimes.

China is home to 1,505 bird species, accounting for roughly one-sixth of the global total, with over 800 species being migratory. The country also serves as a critical corridor for global bird migration, with four of the nine major flyways traversing its territory.

As part of broader efforts to protect the ecology and environment, a series of measures to protect birds has yielded significant results in recent years.

Populations of many endangered bird species have stabilized and increased, while both the diversity and numbers of bird flocks have markedly increased across the country, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration noted.

Wang Weisheng, an official with the administration, said 98.4 percent of China's bird species are now under legal protection, with the number of nationally protected species expanded to 394.