Circular of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on implementing the " Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress to Comprehensively Prohibit the Illegal Trade of Wild Animals, Break the Bad Habit of Excessive Consumption of Wild Animals, and Effectively Secure the Life and Health of the People" and Further Strengthening the Protection and Management of Aquatic Wildlife.

Illegal wildlife trading, especially the excessive consumption of wild animals, not only destroys wildlife resources and endangers ecological safety, but also poses a major hidden danger to public health security. This Circular is formulated accordance with the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress to Comprehensively Prohibit the Illegal Trade of Wild Animals, Break the Bad Habit of Excessive Consumption of Wild Animals, and Effectively Secure the Life and Health of the People and relevant laws and regulations on wildlife protection. The Decision, the Wildlife Protection Law, the Fishery Law and local laws and regulations should be well connected to form a joint force for the protection of aquatic wildlife. It is necessary to coordinate between the relevant lists of wildlife under protection and clarify the scope of aquatic wildlife. The species listed in the List of Economic Aquatic Plant Resources under National Key Protection and the new aquatic species announced by the Ministry shall be strictly managed in accordance with the Fishery Law and other laws and regulations. The Document further request to strengthen law enforcement and severely crack down on all kinds of illegal acts involving aquatic wildlife; strengthen source management, improve relevant archives and labeling systems, and promote dynamic and traceable management of aquatic wildlife.