Thousands prosecuted in China for wildlife-related crimes

BEIJING -- A total of 15,154 people in China were prosecuted for damaging wildlife resources in the first nine months of the year, up by 66.2 percent from the same period last year, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said on Monday.

Among them, 6,974 people were charged with illegal fishing of aquatic species, and 3,007 with illegal purchasing, transporting, or selling rare or endangered wildlife and their byproducts, the SPP said.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, adopted a decision on thoroughly banning the illegal trading of wildlife and eliminating the consumption of wild animals on Feb. 24.