The export of frog products will be completely banned from next
year on in north China's Hebei Province.
Wu
Minglu, head of the wildlife protection office under the provincial
forestry department, made the statement recently.
The epidemic of mad cow disease in Europe has resulted in a sharp
reduction in beef consumption, which has led to a sharp increase in
demand for frog products increase in overseas markets, said Wu.
However, as raised frogs are expensive, many people in Hebei have
been poaching wild frogs, which has seriously endangered the
species and damaged the local ecological balance.
The province has moved quickly to crack down on the poaching of
wild frogs since early this year and ceased to grant licenses to
those applying for conducting frog business.
And the sales of any frog product will be completely prohibited as
of next year.
(
cri.com.cn 10/04/2001)