Government Rules and Public Opinion about Hunting - Research Paper Example

?Government Rules and Public Opinion about Hunting A Comparison between China and Canada China and Canada are two entirely different countries, both politically and culturally. China is a communist country whereas Canada is a democracy. Moreover, religion is a prominent entity in Canadian social life whereas in China, religions do not have much importance. Because of the above differences between China and Canada, Chinese laws and Canadian laws with respect to various issues are entirely different. For example, hunting is an activity which is treated differently by Chinese and Canadian people. Hunting has been suspended many times in the past in China. The Chinese authorities put strong control over hunting activities because of political reasons. The general public interest in China is not in favor of hunting activities. "China Wildlife Management Authority started to plan an auction of hunting quota and permits for the fall season of 2006, in order to replace the original way of issuing the hunting permits based on case application and case approval” (“Hunting In China is Suspended - Again!”). On the other hand, Canadian laws with respect to hunting are more liberal in nature. Moreover, Canadians like hunting very much. The influence of religion and politics can be observed in the public opinion of hunting in Canada and China. This paper compares the laws and public attitude in China and Canada with respect to hunting. According to the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Wildlife Chapter II, Article 8, “The state shall protect wildlife and the environment for its survival, and shall prohibit the illegal hunting, catching or destruction of wildlife by any unit or individual” (“Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Wildlife”). Even though China is accused heavily for human right violation by the westerners, when it comes to wildlife protection, Chinese laws are comparatively stronger than those in other countries. It should be noted that hunting without permission is a big crime in China whereas it may not be a serious issue in countries like Canada. Chinese laws made it mandatory to report any intrusions or massacres against wildlife by the public. In other words, those who fail to report the crimes against wildlife may get punishment along with the culprits. Chinese authorities have divided the entire wildlife into two categories: special protection category and non-protection category. Hunting of wildlife in the special protection category is unlawful in all circumstances whereas licensed hunting is allowed in other categories. Article 18 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Wildlife, Chapter III, states that “Anyone who intends to hunt or catch wildlife that is not under special state protection must obtain a hunting license and observe the hunting quota assigned. Anyone who intends to hunt with a gun must obtain a gun license from the public security organ of the county or municipality concerned” (“Hunting in China Is Suspended - Again!”). In short, hunting without permission is prohibited legally in China. Chinese authorities are respecting animal rights more than any other countries in the world. Public opinion continues to be strongly opposed to issuing new hunting permits in China. "So you are saying that you can protect the animals by killing them?" said a netizen called Dazuiyu. "If we reopen the hunting ground in Dulan to foreigners, it is hard to say how many more will come. The number of animals they want is small this time, what about next time and the time after next? It will increase fast"(Yuan). Public opinion in China seems to be against hunting. It is difficult for the Chinese people to come out strongly against the governmental policies. They often respond through Internet in order to keep their anonymity. “Foreigners were previously allowed to hunt in China only after completing a complicated application process. By the end of last year, China had earned US$36.39 million by allowing 1,101 foreigners to hunt 1,347 animals since 1985” (“China to Solicit Public Opinion for Hunting Auction”). Chinese authorities seem to be more interested in using hunting as another source of revenue rather than treating it as a game or recreational activity. “In an online survey released by Sina, a leading Web portal in China, out of 1,000 respondents, 97 percent strongly opposed lifting the ban on trophy hunting” (Yuan). The above statistics clearly suggest that majority of the public in China are against the killing of animals or wildlife. It should be noted that Buddhism and Confucianism are some of the prominent religions in China. Both Buddhism and Confucianism treat wildlife as sacred as human life. Even though, unauthorized hunting is an illegal act in Canada too, the laws with respect to hunting in Canada seem to be more liberal than those in China. Each province in Canada has different laws with respect to hunting along with the federal laws; however, none of these laws treat hunting as a serious offense. Canadian federal laws with respect to hunting are more concerned with the protection of migratory birds and nationally significant wildlife habitat. Moreover, international laws applicable to the protection of the endangered species are also implemented strongly in Canada. Apart from these obligatory laws, Canada seems to be more liberal in implementing hunting laws. In fact, the Canadian government encourages licensed hunting since the government feels that restricted hunting may bring more good than harm to the ecosystem and environment: “In Ontario, each gun hunter must pass both the Canadian Firearms Safety Course exam and the Ontario Hunter Education Course exam. These education programs and regulations contribute to a safe recreational activity. Hunters contribute a great deal of time, money, and effort to wildlife management. Hunters are involved in a variety of volunteer programs that help maintain and enhance wildlife and their habitat. In Ontario, the money from hunter licence fees contributes to monitoring and protecting wildlife. The funds raised with the Waterfowl Stamp on the federal Migratory Bird Hunting Permit support habitat protection programs that benefit all wildlife that depend on wetlands” (“Hunting in Ontario”). In other words, Canadian authorities insist on the passing of the Firearms Safety Course exam, not for the protection of wildlife but for the protection of the hunter. It should be noted that usage of guns needs training; otherwise, the chances of self-damage are more while hunting. The laws and policies with respect to hunting in Canada seem to be interesting. Canadian authorities are giving license for killing of wildlife and the money taken as the licensing fee is used to protect wildlife. In other words, Canada is trying to kill wildlife using one hand and protect it using the other hand. Canadian authorities believe that this policy would help them to keep the wildlife at a constant level. They believe that the current level of wildlife is optimum and anything less or excess is problematic. Hunting is a recreational activity for many Canadians. “In 1996, approximately one in 20 Canadian citizens pursued game in the Canadian forests. Hunting in Canada is considered such a popular pastime that in 1996, annual expenditures for these types of activities alone were estimated to reach almost $11 billion” (“Hunting in Ontario”). From the above statistics, it is evident that hunting is one of the most popular games in Canada and government has limitations in putting strong control on it. Since Canada is a democratic country, the government needs support for all its public policies. Prohibition of hunting may cause problems to the Canadian government since such a measure would be against the will of the people. On the other hand, Chinese government does not face such problems. Chinese government is committed to the communist party rather than to the people. It does not require the public support for implementing communist policies. Majority of the Canadians are Christians, and Christians are generally non-vegetarians. In other words, Christians like animal meat for their food needs. The Holy Bible does not prohibit the killing of animals for food needs. So hunting is an acceptable game or activity in Canada. On the other hand in China, it is not so because of the cultural differences of Chinese people compared to Canadians. As mentioned earlier, Chinese people are more fascinated towards Buddhist and Confucian ideologies and hence, they are against the killing of animals. To conclude, Chinese hunting laws are stricter than Canadian ones. Moreover, the majority of the Chinese people are against the killing of wildlife for gaming purposes whereas Canadians see no danger in killing wild animals for recreational purposes or food needs. Canadian laws are interested in protecting only the endangered animals whereas Chinese laws are interested in protecting all animal life irrespective of which category it belong to. China and Canada are different countries, politically and culturally. These differences are often visible in the legal frameworks and public opinions in these countries. The influence of Buddhism and Confucianism is evident in the Chinese public opinion with respect to hunting whereas the influence of Christianity is evident in the public opinion of Canadians with respect to hunting issues. Works Cited “China to Solicit Public Opinion for Hunting Auction.” 2006. Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2006. “Hunting in China Is Suspended - Again!” Web. 13 March 2012. “Hunting in Ontario.” 2012. Web. 13 March 2012. “Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Wildlife.” 1988. Web. 13 March 2012. “The Quest for Canada's Famous Wild Game.” 2010. Web. 13 March 2012. Yuan, Yuan. “The Hunt Is Not On.” 2011. Beijing Review. NO. 39 SEPTEMBER 29, 2011. Web. 13 March 2012. Read More