Society

Hunting ban stays despite environment damage

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-06-18 20:47

ZHANGYE, Gansu - Environment officials at a Northwest China nature reserve said Friday a 5-year-old hunting ban will stay despite the ecological risks posed by the fast-growing population of a once endangered sheep species.

"We are turning down requests from many foreign hunters," said Ni Ziyin, a forestry official with the forestry reserve in Qilian Mountain of Gansu province. "The hunting ban will stay no matter how much they offer to pay."

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Until 2005, the reserve, with 900,000 hectares of forest and home to almost 300 wild animal species, was a hunting ground for blue sheep and red deer. Nearly all the hunters were from Europe and America, as it was illegal to own a gun in China.

Hunting was a significant source of revenue for the underdeveloped province, as hunters had to pay $10,000 to $30,000 for each kill, said Ni.

"It was under fire after China promulgated a law on wildlife protection in 2004 and was closed within a year," he said.

Thanks to the hunting ban and efforts from the local and central governments to improve the ecology, wildlife populations have been rising, particularly the blue sheep, a wild sheep species under second-class protection by the state.

A recent survey found the average population density of blue sheep was 40 to 50 per square km of forest, much higher than the upper limit of 10 per square km, said Ni.

The fast-moving species reproduces rapidly, causing the population to multiply by almost 10-fold every year.

The sheep had almost no natural predators, as wolves and other large carnivores had disappeared decades ago as a result of hunting and other human activities, said Ni.

However, the sharp increase in the sheep's population has harmed the ecological balance of the nature reserve.

Wherever the blue sheep go, grass disappears, exposing the sandy topsoil of the arid region.

"Excessive numbers of blue sheep have made it hard for the vegetation around Qilian Mountain to survive," said Ni. "They eat not only grass, but also shrub leaves, which has done great damage to the vegetation."

This had led to the decline in the number of other herbivorous animals including wild donkeys and deer, he said.

The new ecological risks have prompted residents to call on the government to resume hunting.

"The blue sheep far outnumber domestic cattle and are rapidly eating away the grassland," said Ren Jin, a resident of Pingshanhu village, Zhangye city. "Unless they are hunted, the sheep will destroy the pastureland."

Many villages and croplands near the reserve were also haunted by wild boar.

But the local government has refused to compromise on the hunting ban.

"Despite the fast-growing number of wild animals, their habitats are constantly intruded on by humans," said Tian Baohua, an official with the Gansu provincial forestry department. "We don't encourage human intervention. We'd rather leave the ecological system to readjust itself."

Zhang Guodong, deputy chief of the provincial wildlife protection bureau, said the local government was working on compensation plans for farmers who suffered losses.

"The government will pay the bill if croplands or pasture are damaged," he said.