The virus is believed to have emerged at a market that sold live animals in the central city of Wuhan late last year (AFP Photo/Hector RETAMAL) |
China on Friday vowed to gradually phase out the slaughter and sale of live poultry at food markets, in a move welcomed by animal rights activists amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The
announcement came as China stepped up inspections of wholesale food markets and
outlawed the sale and consumption of wildlife, after a recent COVID-19 outbreak
in Beijing was traced to a major agricultural wholesale market.
The virus
is believed to have emerged at a market that sold live animals in the central
city of Wuhan late last year.
"China
will restrict the trading and slaughter of live poultry, encourage the mass
slaughter of live poultry in places with certain conditions, and gradually
close live poultry markets," said Chen Xu, an official at the State
Administration of Market Regulation, at a press briefing.
Live
poultry kept in cages is a common sight in agricultural wholesale food markets
and "wet markets" -- smaller-scale fresh food markets -- across
China.
The poultry
is traditionally butchered on the spot by stallholders, or buyers can opt to
slaughter the live animal at home.
Some
Chinese people traditionally believe that this allows for maximum freshness.
Live seafood, amphibians and other creatures are also commonly sold at wet
markets.
Scientists
believe the pathogen originated in bats before jumping to humans through a
yet-unknown animal intermediary.
Chen urged
local governments across China to "strengthen supervision of food safety
at agricultural wholesale markets" and "investigate hidden safety
risks", taking the Beijing Xinfadi market virus hotspot as an example.
"It is
understood that more than 70 percent of meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and
vegetables enter the market through wholesale agricultural markets," he
said.
There are
more than 4,100 wholesale markets nationwide, a commerce ministry official told
the briefing.
The
announcement was welcomed by animal rights groups.
"We
are happy to see that live-poultry markets are on their way out in China,"
said Jason Baker, senior vice president of PETA Asia.
"PETA
hopes the State Administration of Market Supervision and Administration
continues to stretch their wings and ban all live-animal markets
nationwide."
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