‘I’m sorry sir ... the fried panda is off’
Damien McElroy in Beijing
CHINESE conservationists have launched a campaign to sign up the country’s eight million professional chefs to a pledge not to boil, baste or stir-fry endangered species.
The nationwide campaign is gunning for a Guinness Book of Records listing for the largest number of signatures ever collected.
Campaigners for the China Wildlife Conservation Association hope at least 3.2 million signatures can be collected to help to spread awareness of wildlife conservation.
The group was galvanised into action by rampant slaughtering and eating of rare tigers, turtles, bears and alligators. One survey found that, out of game dishes, 86.8 per cent of the ingredients came from the wild and more than a quarter were on the state-protected list.
The campaign is the latest in a series of initiatives by environmental pressure groups and government organisations to turn up the heat on Chinese diners with a fondness for near-extinct beasts.
A Chinese saying is that everything with four legs can be eaten except the table, as can everything with wings except aeroplanes.
New laws are also targeting the exotic cravings of the masses. In Guangdong province, where people are famed for eating anything that moves, diners will be fined £800 for eating endangered species.
The capital, Guangzhou, formerly Canton, is renowned for its residents’ lack of squeamishness. The list of animals for sale in its notorious Qing Ping market reads like a pet shop inventory. Scrawny cats, podgy dogs and plump rabbits are available, as are terrapin, deer and 40-year-old tortoises. Beetles and scorpions are piled high for soup dishes.
The fines have slowed business. At three times the average monthly local salary, the new penalties are clearly a deterrent. People responsible for hunting, processing, purchasing or slaughtering protected animals also can be fined up to £12,000.
Although the animals are consumed for sustenance, the Chinese have also long believed certain creatures have medicinal qualities. Deer penises reportedly boost male sexual stamina, snake wine helps to ease arthritis and frog fat beautifies women’s skin.
A woman selling baby scorpions at Qing Ping scoops up a handful before calling out: "Come on. For 150 yuan, you can get a bagful. They make a great soup and it’s good for your health.
"They’re not poisonous. Just pull the stinger off like this," she adds, expertly nipping it off with her fingers.
However, other shops now sell goldfish, dogs and cats as pets. A St Bernard puppy costs £110 while a cocker spaniel goes for £90. "We breed them in our back garden," an owner said. "The ladies love them."
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