Report Date: 2021-01-05

Animal Protection Talk invites Shi Haitao, an ecologist and environmentalist of chelonians and a professor at Hainan Normal University, to analyse in depth the current situation of the survival of chelonians in China and the progress of conservation work. Chelonians are an important part of biodiversity, and organisms are interdependent and constrained each other. Chelonians are an important link in the food chain and biological network. Once thet are threatened, the continuity and integrity of the food chain and biological network in which it is found will be affected. There are 357 species of turtles in the world, of which 55 per cent are in the endangered category, and chelonians are the second most endangered after primates. All of China's chelonians taxa are endangered, and even the Chinese soft-shelled turtle has reached vulnerable status. With the strengthening of citizens' awareness of protection and law enforcement, the trade of chelonians in the market is decreasing day by day. At the same time, many international organizations are strongly promoting the protection of chelonians. The country is also revising its wildlife protection law, and the protection of chelonians has improved significantly. However, the level of civilization of the country is not in line with the demand for higher standards of ecological civilization. We should strengthen public participation in wildlife protection by "not consuming", "not trading" and "not killing".

Professor Shi Haitao of Hainan Normal University's School of Life Sciences talks about chelonians conservation (Photo by Zheng Wei)

Attachment: Interview link：http://guoqing.china.com.cn/2021-01/05/content_77077336.htm