News
Rejection of Applications Concerning the Import of Giant Pandas
2006-04-13
In response to two applications to import giant pandas made by the Taipei Zoo and a zoo affiliated with the Chuang Foo Cultural and Educational Foundation, respectively, a special review committee under the Council of Agriculture (COA) held its third review meeting today. The 13-member committee was composed of eight academics and experts as well as one representative each from five concerned agencies: the Ministry of Education; the Bureau of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Economic Affairs; and the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, the Endemic Species Research Institute, and the Forestry Bureau, of the COA. Twelve members attended the review meeting today, with the absent member, an academic, presenting his position in writing. The meeting began at 1:30 p.m. and concluded at 4:30 p.m. After three hours of deliberate discussion, the committee reached a unanimous decision that under Paragraph 2 of Article 26 of the Enforcement Rules of the Wildlife Conservation Law, a document could not be issued to the applicants to be used to apply for an export permit from China at the present time.
Lee Tao-sheng, deputy director of the Forestry Bureau and convener of the committee, presided over the meeting, with the committee members unanimously reaching the following conclusions:
1. The import of giant pandas must be handled in accordance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (i.e., the Washington Convention, or CITES) and domestic regulations (the Wildlife Conservation Law). According to the fundamental principles set forth in Article 2 of the CITES, trade in specimens of protected species must be subject to particularly strict regulation in order not to further endanger their survival and may only be authorized in exceptional circumstances. Item (b) of Paragraph 3 in Article 3 stipulates that an import permit shall only be granted when “a Scientific Authority of the State of import is satisfied that the proposed recipient of a living specimen is suitably equipped to house and care for it.” Article 8 stipulates that the parties involved “shall take appropriate measures to enforce the provisions of the present Convention.” Article 14 stipulates that the provisions of the Convention shall not affect the right of concerned parties to “adopt stricter domestic measures regarding the conditions for trade, taking possession or transport of specimens of species” than those detailed in the Convention’s appendices. According to Paragraph 1, Article 26 of the Enforcement Rules of the Wildlife Conservation Law, the applicant must submit documents detailing the facility intended to be used to house the imported protected species.
2. The committee held two review meetings on November 16 and December 21, 2005. Moreover, a consultative meeting was held on February 17, 2006, and most participants, including local conservation groups and experts, expressed their opposition to the import of giant pandas. The committee concluded that the import of protected species, according to the Wildlife Conservation Law, should primarily be for the purposes of academic research and education. Therefore, the focus should be redirected to researching wild animals’ habits and to habitat conservation since China and the international community have acquired some results on the physiological research of giant pandas in captivity. The exhibitions and educational programs for strengthening wildlife conservation submitted as reasons to import the giant pandas by the applicants are far from concrete. Neither applicant is comprehensively prepared in terms of the necessary breeding equipment and the training of medical and nursing staff. To show respect for the lives of animals, the committee suggested that future applicants abide by the conservation ideals already accepted as mainstream internationally and stressed the importance of conserving animals in their natural habitat.
Therefore, if related issues can be worked out and a consensus of support can be reached among conservation organizations, giant pandas may be imported pursuant to regulations. But the review committee has examined the applications submitted by the two zoos and found that the above-mentioned requirements have not been met. At this time, according to Paragraph 2 of Article 26 of the Enforcement Rules of the Wildlife Conservation Law, COA cannot issue the document the applicants need in order to apply for an export permit from China.
3. If the above-mentioned requirements are met, all applications will be processed in accordance with the CITES and the Wildlife Conservation Law.
The review committee meeting ended at 4:30 p.m.
Lee Tao-sheng, deputy director of the Forestry Bureau and convener of the committee, presided over the meeting, with the committee members unanimously reaching the following conclusions:
1. The import of giant pandas must be handled in accordance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (i.e., the Washington Convention, or CITES) and domestic regulations (the Wildlife Conservation Law). According to the fundamental principles set forth in Article 2 of the CITES, trade in specimens of protected species must be subject to particularly strict regulation in order not to further endanger their survival and may only be authorized in exceptional circumstances. Item (b) of Paragraph 3 in Article 3 stipulates that an import permit shall only be granted when “a Scientific Authority of the State of import is satisfied that the proposed recipient of a living specimen is suitably equipped to house and care for it.” Article 8 stipulates that the parties involved “shall take appropriate measures to enforce the provisions of the present Convention.” Article 14 stipulates that the provisions of the Convention shall not affect the right of concerned parties to “adopt stricter domestic measures regarding the conditions for trade, taking possession or transport of specimens of species” than those detailed in the Convention’s appendices. According to Paragraph 1, Article 26 of the Enforcement Rules of the Wildlife Conservation Law, the applicant must submit documents detailing the facility intended to be used to house the imported protected species.
2. The committee held two review meetings on November 16 and December 21, 2005. Moreover, a consultative meeting was held on February 17, 2006, and most participants, including local conservation groups and experts, expressed their opposition to the import of giant pandas. The committee concluded that the import of protected species, according to the Wildlife Conservation Law, should primarily be for the purposes of academic research and education. Therefore, the focus should be redirected to researching wild animals’ habits and to habitat conservation since China and the international community have acquired some results on the physiological research of giant pandas in captivity. The exhibitions and educational programs for strengthening wildlife conservation submitted as reasons to import the giant pandas by the applicants are far from concrete. Neither applicant is comprehensively prepared in terms of the necessary breeding equipment and the training of medical and nursing staff. To show respect for the lives of animals, the committee suggested that future applicants abide by the conservation ideals already accepted as mainstream internationally and stressed the importance of conserving animals in their natural habitat.
Therefore, if related issues can be worked out and a consensus of support can be reached among conservation organizations, giant pandas may be imported pursuant to regulations. But the review committee has examined the applications submitted by the two zoos and found that the above-mentioned requirements have not been met. At this time, according to Paragraph 2 of Article 26 of the Enforcement Rules of the Wildlife Conservation Law, COA cannot issue the document the applicants need in order to apply for an export permit from China.
3. If the above-mentioned requirements are met, all applications will be processed in accordance with the CITES and the Wildlife Conservation Law.
The review committee meeting ended at 4:30 p.m.
