Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Wildlife (Revision Draft)

A Completed Draft of This Translation Was Donated By the American Bar Association ROLI China Office , but may continue to be modified (hopefully for the better) by you and other users through regular use of this site. Their original Translation is available here, and the contributor is in no way responsible for any further changes.

In December 2015, the 18th Session of the 12th NPC Standing Committee conducted the first deliberation of the "PRC Law on the Protection of Wildlife (Revision Draft.)" The "PRC Law on Conservation of Wild Animals (Revision Draft)" is hereby released on the NPC website to publicly solicit opinions from the public. The public can directly log in to the NPC website (www.npc.gov.cn)）and provide comments; and may also mail comments to the Legislative Affairs Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, (1 West Qianmen Avenue, Xicheng District, Beijing 100805) [in Chinese: 北京市西城区前门西大街1号，邮编：100805. Please indicate on the envelope solicitation of opinions for the Law on the Conservation of Wild Animals (Revision Draft).] The deadline for the solicitation of opinions is January 29, 2016.

Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Wildlife (Revision Draft)

Chapter I: General Provisions

Chapter II: Conservation of Wild Animals

Chapter III: Wildlife Management

Chapter IV: Legal Responsibility

Chapter V: Supplementary Provisions

Chapter I: General Provisions

Article 1: This Law is formulated in order to conserve wild animals and their habitats, to save rare and endangered wild animals, preserve biodiversity and ecological equilibrium, to regulate the utilization of wild animal resources, and to advance ecological civilization construction.

Article 2: Wild animals protected under this Law refer to precious and endangered wild animals as well as wild animals having important ecological, scientific and social value.

Wild animals and their products mentioned under all articles of this Law refer to the entirety (including ova and eggs), parts and derivatives of conserved wild animals described by the preceding paragraph.

Wildlife habitats as provided for by this Law refers to important areas for wild populations of wildlife to live and breed.

This Law applies to the protection, breeding, or utilization of wild animals and other activities involving wild animals and their habitats within the territory of the People's Republic of China and other waters under her jurisdiction.

The provisions of the Fishery Law shall apply to the conservation of other aquatic wild animals other than precious and endangered aquatic wild animals.

Article 3: Wildlife resources are owned by the State.

The State protects the lawful rights and interests of the units and individuals who protect, breed, or utilize wild animals according to law.

Article 4: The state implements the policy of conservation priority, strict supervision, scientific breeding and reasonable utilization for wild animals, encourages the performance of scientific research on wild animals, and fosters citizens’ awareness of caring for wild animals and jointly safeguarding mankind’s survival environment.

Article 5: Citizens of the People’s Republic of China shall have the obligation to conserve wild animals and their habitats, and report and accuse conducts of encroaching on or damaging wild animals and their habitats to relevant agencies.

Article 6: The people’s governments at all levels shall strengthen the conservation of wild animals and their habitats, establish planning, take measures, and include the expense on conservation of wild animals in the budget.

The state encourages citizens, legal persons and other organizations to participate in activities for conservation of wild animals and support the public interest cause of wild animal conservation by donating funds, establishing foundations and taking other forms according to the law.

Article 7: The forestry administration agency of the State Council shall supervise the conservation of terrestrial wild animals nationwide, and the fishery administration agency of the State Council shall supervise the conservation of aquatic wild animals nationwide.

The forestry administration agency of local people’s governments at the county level and above shall supervise the conservation of terrestrial wild animals in their respective administrative regions, and the fishery administration agency shall supervise the conservation of aquatic wild animals in their respective administrative regions.

Article 8: The people’s governments at every level shall strengthen the work to promote and popularize the conservation of wild animals, encourage and support local mass autonomous organizations, social organizations, enterprises, nonprofit organizations and volunteers in the activity of popularizing laws, regulations and knowledge involving the conservation of wild animals, and supervise illegal conduct.

The administrative departments of education and schools shall foster students’ awareness of wildlife protection.

News media shall carry out the promotion of laws, regulations and knowledge involving the conservation of wild animals, advocate the care for wild animals, and supervise illegal conducts.

Article 9: People’s governments at the county level or above shall award organizations and individuals making significant achievements in wildlife protection and scientific research.

Chapter II: Conservation of Wild Animals

Article 10: The States protects wild animals and their habitats, and prohibits any unit or individual from illegal hunting, utilizing or damaging [them].

Article 11: The state implements classification and hierarchical management of wild animals, and classifies wild animals into wild animals under national major conservation, wild animals under local major conservation and wild animals having important ecological, scientific and social value.

The State carries out key protection of rare and endangered wildlife. Wildlife under key national protection are classified as grade-1 and grade-2 protected wildlife. The directory of wild animals under national major conservation shall be formulated by the agencies of the State Council supervising conservation of wild animals after organizing scientific assessments and published after approval of the State Council.

The agencies of the State Council supervising conservation of wild animals shall assess the directory of wild animals under national major conservation once every five years, adjust the directory based on the assessment result, and report it to the State Council for approval and publishing.

Wildlife under key local protection refers to wildlife under key protection by the provinces, autonomous regions and directly governed municipalities other than wildlife under key national protection. The directory of wild animals under local major conservation shall be formulated and published by the people’s governments of the provinces, autonomous regions and direct-administration municipalities.

The agencies of the State Council supervising conservation of wild animals shall formulate, adjust and publish the directory of wild animals having important ecological, scientific and social value conserved by the state.

Article 12: The agencies of the State Council supervising conservation of wild animals shall collaborate with relevant ministries and institutions of the State Council to determine and publish the directory of important habitats of wild animals according to surveys, monitoring and assessment results on the statuses of wild animals and their habitats.

The people’s government at the provincial level and above shall delineate corresponding nature reserves and other conservation areas according to the directory of important habitats of wild animals. Where the conditions are not met for determination of nature reserves and other protected areas, people’s governments at the county level or above or their wildlife protection departments may protect wildlife by means such as designating areas or time periods in which hunting (fishing) is forbidden.

Artificial interference and other conduct endangering wildlife such as creating pure forest, introducing alien species, and spreading excessive amounts of pesticides is prohibited or restricted in nature reserves or other protected areas.

The delineation and management of nature reserves and other protected areas is handled in accordance with the provisions of relevant laws and regulations.

Article 13: The agencies of the people’s governments at the county level and above supervising conservation of wild animals shall organize regular surveys, monitoring and assessment of wild animals and their habitats, and create robust archives of wild animals and their habitats.

Investigation, monitoring and assessment of wildlife and their habitats shall include the following content:

(1) Wild distribution regions, population number, structure and other information on wildlife;

(2) the area and ecological circumstances of wildlife habitats;

(3) Major factors threatening wildlife and their habitats; and

(4) Other contents requiring survey, monitoring and assessment.

Article 14: When preparing relevant development and utilization plans involving wild animals and their habitats, the people’s governments at the county level or above and relevant agencies shall fully consider the need to conserve wild animals and their habitats and avoid or mitigate the adverse impact from the implementation of plans.

Sites of construction projects shall avoid nature reserves, other conservation areas and migration & breeding migration paths of wild animals. Where construction is truly necessary, the construction shall comply with the provisions of laws and regulations. Where the construction of an airport, railway, road, waterwork, hydropower, cofferdam, sea reclamation, fencing (seine) or other projects may affect the migration or breeding migration of wild animals, the projects shall build wild animal passages, fish passage facilities and other measures to eliminate or mitigate the adverse impact on wild animals.

Where a construction project may affect nature reserves, other conservation areas or the migration and breeding migration channels of wild animals, the environmental protection administration agency shall solicit opinions of the agencies of the State Council supervising conservation of wild animals when examining and approving the environmental impact assessment document, provided that the project involves wild animals under national major conservation, and solicit opinions of the agencies of the people’s governments of related provinces, autonomous regions or direct-administration municipalities supervising conservation of wild animals, provided that the project involves wild animals under local major conservation.

Article 15: The departments for the protection of wildlife at each level shall monitor and oversee the impact on wildlife. When environmental impacts jeopardize wildlife, the departments for the protection of wildlife shall work together with relevant departments to conduct an investigation and handle the matter.

Article 16: The people’s governments at the county level or above and relevant agencies shall include emergency response measures to rescue wild animals in emergency response plans for natural disasters, major environmental pollution accidents and other emergencies. . Where wild animals under national and local major conservation are threatened by emergencies, the local people’s governments shall take emergency rescue measures in a timely manner.

The people’s governments at the county level or above and relevant administrative agencies shall do the work to shelter and rescue wild animals in accordance with relevant provisions, and encourage and support organizations and individuals meeting the qualifications to shelter and rescue wild animals.

Article 17: The departments for the protection of wildlife and veterinary medicine of people’s governments at the county level or above shall monitor epidemic sources and wildlife diseases on the basis of their respective responsibilities, organize and carry out monitoring, forecasting and other work, make response plans for wildlife disease epidemics in accordance with provisions, and report plans to the people’s governments at the same level for approval or filing.

Article 18: The States strengthens the protection of wild animal hereditary resources.

The authorities of the State Council supervising conservation of wild animals shall collaborate with relevant ministries and commissions of the State Council shall formulate the planning for conservation and utilization of genetic resources of wild animals, build the national gene pool of genetic resources of wild animals, and implement major conservation for genetic resources of precious and endangered wild animals originating from China.

Chapter III: Wildlife Management

Article 19: The hunting or killing of wildlife under key national protection is prohibited. Where it is needed to hunt or capture wild animals under national major conservation for the purpose of scientific research, population control, artificial breeding or epidemic source or disease monitoring or for other special reasons, the hunter shall apply for the franchised hunting license to the authorities of the people’s governments of related provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities supervising conservation of wild animals, unless otherwise specified by the State Council.

Article 20: To hunt wild animals other than wild animals under national major conservation, hunters shall obtain hunting licenses in accordance with relevant provisions of the State Council, and observe the limits of hunting quotas.

Article 21: Hunters shall hunt wildlife consistent with the types, quantities, places, tools, methods and time periods specified on special hunting permit or the hunting license.

When hunting with a gun, a gun license issued by the public security organs shall be obtained in accordance with law.

Article 22: It is prohibited to hunt or engage in other activities obstructing the lives and breeding of wildlife in nature reserves or other protected areas or within areas forbidding hunting (fishing) or during periods when hunting (fishing) is prohibited. Unless otherwise specified by laws and regulations.

During wildlife migration and breeding periods, hunting is prohibited and other activities obstructing the lives and breeding of wildlife are strictly limited within migration and breeding channels outside the areas set forth in the preceding paragraph. The scope of migration and breeding paths and the activities obstructing the lives and breeding of wildlife will be provided and published by people’s governments at the county level or above or their departments for wildlife protection.

Article 23: It is forbidden to use poisons, explosives, electronic shocks or electronic trap devices as well as hunting sheaths, hunting traps, floor guns, line muskets and other non-directly-human-operated hunting tools, and it is also forbidden to go hunting with nighttime lighting, use destructive hunting, destroy nests, attack with fire, smoke and hunt with nets, excepting net hunting that is necessary for scientific research.

Other forbidden hunting tools and methods other than those set forth in the preceding paragraph shall be determined and published by the people’s governments at the county level or above or their agencies supervising conservation of wild animals.

Article 24: The state implements the license system for artificial breeding of wild animals under national major conservation. Artificial breeding of wild animals under national major conservation shall be approved by the administrative agencies of the people’s governments of related provinces, autonomous regions or direct-administration municipalities supervising conservation of wild animals, unless otherwise specified by the State Council.

For the artificial breeding of wild animals under national major conservation, the concerned party shall ensure there is necessary movement space and conditions of living, breeding, health and sanitation for wild animals according to their behaviors, ensure the concerned party has sites, facilities, technologies and funds suitable to the breeding purpose, types and development scale, comply with relevant technical standards, and not mistreat wild animals.

For the artificial breeding of wild animals under national major conservation, the concerned party shall use artificially bred filial generations as the breed source, and create species files and individual data. Where it is truly necessary to use wild breeding sources, the use shall comply with the provisions of Article 19 and Article 21.

The artificially bred filial generation mentioned in this Law means the filial generation individual multiplied and born under artificial intervention, whose parents were also born under artificial intervention.

Article 25: The people’s governments at the county level and above shall provide fiscal support and policy support for the engagement in artificial breeding of wild animals for species conservation, scientific research, public education and other public interest purposes.

Article 26: It is forbidden to sell, acquire and use wild animals under national major conservation and their products.

Where it is necessary to sell, acquire and use wild animals under national major conservation and their products for the purpose of scientific research, artificial breeding, public display (performance) or conservation of cultural relics or for other special needs, the concerned party shall obtain the approval from the agencies of the people’s governments of related provinces, autonomous regions or direct-administration municipalities supervising conservation of wild animals, and obtain and use the special mark in accordance with provisions, unless otherwise specified by the State Council.

If the use of certain wild animals under national major conservation is allowed by the state, and the artificial breeding technologies are mature and stable, after establishment of scientific proof, the animals shall be put on the directory of artificial breeding-allowed wild animals under national major conservation, which is formulated by the agencies of the State Council supervising conservation of wild animals. The concerned party can submit the artificial breeding license for wild animals and their products listed in the directory, directly obtain the special mark allowing the annual production quota approved by the agencies supervising conservation of wild animals of the relevant province, autonomous region, direct-administration municipality or the State Council, and sell and use [such wild animals and their products] under the special mark.

The measures regarding the administration of special marks for wild animals under national major conservation and their products shall be formulated by the agencies of the State Council supervising conservation of wild animals.

When selling, acquiring or utilizing wild animals other than animals under national major conservation, the concerned party shall provide the hunting, import or export, artificial breeding or other evidence proving the legitimate source.

Article 27: The use of wild animals and their products shall observe laws, regulations and relevant provisions, and comply with public order and good custom.

Where wild animals and their products are operated and used as traditional Chinese medicines, health products or foods, the concerned party shall observe laws, regulations and relevant provisions regarding traditional Chinese medicines, health products or foods.

Article 28: It is forbidden to publish advertisements or related information for illegal sale, acquisition and use of wild animals and their products.

Article 29: Online trading platforms, concentrated commodity trading markets and any other trading sites are forbidden to provide platforms for illegal sale, acquisition or use of wild animals and their products or for illegal hunting tools and methods specified by Article 23.

Article 30: The agencies of the people’s governments at the county level and above supervising conservation of wild animals shall supervise and administer the operation and utilization of wild animals and their products.

Relevant agencies of the people’s governments at the county level or above shall assist the agencies supervising conservation of wild animals to strengthen the supervision and inspection of the sale, acquisition, utilization, transport, delivery, eating and other activities involving wild animals and their products.

Article 31: When transporting, carrying or delivering wild animals under national major conservation or their products across county boundaries, the concerned party shall hold the duplicate of the license or approval document or special mark set forth by Article 24 and Article 26 of this Law.

When transporting wild animals other than animals under national major conservation across county boundaries, the concerned party shall hold the hunting, import or export, artificial breeding or other evidence proving the legitimate source.

Article 32: It is forbidden to conduct illegal import or export of wild animals or their products whose trade is prohibited or restricted by international conventions to which China is a party.

The concerned party shall obtain the approval from the agencies of the State Council supervising conservation of wild animals or the State Council and obtain the import or export permit issued by the national administration agency for import and export of endangered species before importing or exporting wild animals or their products whose import or export is restricted by international conventions to which China is a party, or exporting wild animals under national major conservation or their products. Customs will handle clearance procedures on the basis of the import or export permit.

The export of wildlife species involving confidential science and technology shall be handled in accordance with relevant provisions of the State Council.

Article 33: The state shall establish the agency coordination mechanism preventing and cracking down on the smuggling and illegal trade of wild animals, organize and carry out actions to prevent and strike smuggling and illegal trade, and strengthen and advance international cooperation and exchange.

Article 34: The introduction of alien wild animal species from outside the territory of China shall be approved by the agencies of the State Council supervising conservation of wild animals to prevent harm to the ecosystem.

Article 35: Introduced alien wild animal species shall be prevented from entering the wild environment. When it is truly necessary to release them into the wild, the concerned party shall comply with relevant provisions of the agencies of the State Council supervising conservation of wild animals.

Article 36: It is forbidden to counterfeit, alter, trade or transfer the following certificates, documents and marks:

(1) Special permissions hunting licenses;

(2) Hunting licenses;

(3) Artificial breeding permits;

(4) Document approving the sale, acquisition and utilization of wild animals under national major conservation and their products;

(5) Import or export documents;

(6) Specialized symbols.

Article 37: Before conducting field survey or producing films or videos in the field on wild animals under national major conservation within the territory of China, foreigners shall obtain the approval from the agencies of the people’s governments of related provinces, autonomous regions or direct-administration municipalities supervising conservation of wild animals or entities authorized by them.

Article 38: Relevant people’s governments shall take measures to prevent and control hazards created by wildlife and assure the security of people and livestock as well as agricultural and forestry production.

Article 39:Where casualties of humans or the loss of crops or other property arise out of the conservation of wild animals under national or local major conservation, the local people’s government shall provide compensation or implement a relevant policy-related insurance system, and the people’s governments of the provinces, autonomous regions and direct-administration municipalities shall formulate concrete measures.

The central finance will subsidize the expenses required by the people’s governments at the county level and above to take measures to prevent and control hazards created by wild animals under national major conservation and implement the compensation and the policy-related insurance system, and the concrete measures will be formulated by the finance agency of the State Council working together with the agencies of the State Council supervising conservation of wild animals.

Article 40: The measures regarding the management of wild animals under local major conservation and other wild animals other than wild animals under national major conservation shall be formulated by the standing committees of the people’s congresses of the provinces, autonomous regions and direct-administration municipalities.

Chapter IV: Legal Responsibility

Article 41: For the damage to the habitats of wild animals in violation of the provisions of Article 10 and Article 12.3 of this Law, the agencies of the people’s governments at the county level and above supervising conservation of wild animals or relevant conservation area administration agency shall order the stop of damaging behavior, require rectification within a given time-frame, eliminate the adverse impact on wild animals, and impose a fine above three times and below five times the rectification expense.

Article 42: For the violation of the provision of Article 14.2 of this Law and the failure to take measures to eliminate or mitigate the adverse impact on wild animals for a construction project, the environmental protection administration agency competent to approve the environmental impact assessment document of the construction project shall order the suspension of construction and correction within a given time-frame, and impose a fine above RMB100,000 and below RMB1,000,000.

Article 43: Where any person hunts or kills wild animals under national major conservation in violation of the provisions of Article 19 and Article 21 of this Law, the criminal liability of the person shall be pursued in accordance with relevant provisions of the criminal law. Where it is not needed to impose a criminal penalty according to the law, the agency supervising conservation of wild animals or the marine law enforcement agency shall confiscate hunted products, hunting tools and illegal incomes, withdraw the franchised hunting license, impose a fine below ten times the value of the hunted products, if any; or impose a fine below RMB 50,000, if there are no hunted products.

Article 44: Where any person violates the provisions of Article 20 and Article 21 of this Law by hunting wild animals other than wild animals under national major conservation without obtaining the hunting license or without observing the provisions of the hunting license, the agency supervising conservation of wild animals or the marine law enforcement agency shall confiscate hunted products, hunting tools and illegal incomes, withdraw the hunting license, impose a fine above RMB 10,000 and below RMB 100,000 according to the quantity of the hunted products, if any; or impose a fine below RMB 10,000, if there are no hunted products.

Where any person violates the provision of Article 21.2 of this Law and hunts wild animals with a gun without obtaining the gun license, the criminal liability of the person shall be pursued in accordance with relevant provisions of the criminal law. Where it is not needed to impose a criminal penalty according to the law, the public security authority [NB: police] shall penalize the person in line with relevant provisions of the laws regarding the management of guns and public safety management penalties.

Article 45: Where any person hunts wild animals in the areas forbidding hunting (fishing) or within the period of forbidding hunting (fishing) or using forbidden tools and methods in violation of the provisions of Articles 22.1 and Article 23.1 of this Law, the criminal liability of the person shall be pursued in accordance with relevant provisions of the criminal law. Where it is not needed to impose a criminal penalty according to the law, the person shall be given a serious penalty in accordance with the provisions of Article 43 and 44.

Article 46: Where any person violates the provisions of Article 24 of this Law by breeding wild animals under national major conservation without obtaining the artificial breeding license or observing the requirements of the artificial breeding license, the agencies supervising conservation of wild animals shall confiscate wild animals, their products and illegal incomes, and can impose a fine below five times the value of the wild animals, and in severe situations withdraw the artificial breeding license.

Article 47:Where any person violates the provisions of Article 26.1, Article 26.2, Article 26.3 and Article 31 of this Law by selling, acquiring, utilizing, transporting and delivering wild animals under national major conservation and their products, the criminal liability of the person shall be pursued in accordance with relevant provisions of the criminal law. Where it is not needed to impose a criminal penalty according to the law, the agency supervising conservation of wild animals or the industry & commerce administrative agency shall confiscate the wild animals and their products, impose a fine below five times the value of the wild animals according to the conservation level and quantity of the wild animals; confiscate illegal incomes, if any, and simultaneously impose a fine above five times and below ten times the illegal incomes.

Where any person violates the provisions of Article 26.5 and Article 31.2 of this Law by selling, acquiring, utilizing and transporting wild animals other than wild animals under national major conservation, the agency supervising conservation of wild animals or the industry & commerce administrative agency shall confiscate the wild animals, and impose a fine below three times the value of the wild animals.

Article 48: Where any person violates the provision of Article 28 of this Law by publishing advertisements and relevant information for illegal sale, acquisition and utilization of wild animals and their products, the person shall be punished in accordance with the provisions of the advertising law.

Article 49: Where any person violates the provision of Article 29 of this Law by providing a trading platform for illegal sale, acquisition or utilization of wild animals or their products or illegal hunting tools, the industry & commerce administrative agency shall order the person to stop his illegal behavior and correct his behavior within a given timeframe; confiscate his illegal incomes, if any, and impose a fine above twice and below five times the illegal incomes.

Article 50: Where any person violates the provision of Article 32 of this Law by importing or exporting wild animals or their products, the customs house, the inspection and quarantine agency, the public security agency or the marine law enforcement agency shall punish the person in line with laws, regulations and relevant provisions, and where the person commits a crime, the criminal liability of the person shall be pursued in accordance with relevant provisions of the criminal law.

Article 51: Where any person violates the provision of Article 34 of this Law by introducing alien wild animal species from outside the territory of China, the agencies supervising conservation of wild animals shall confiscate the introduced wild animals, and impose a fine above RMB 50,000 and below RMB 200,000.

Article 52: Where any person violates the provision of Article 35 of this Law by releasing any introduced alien wild animal into the wild, the agencies supervising conservation of wild animals shall order the person to retrieve the animal within a given timeframe. Where the person fails to retrieve the introduced wild animal within the timeframe, the agencies supervising conservation of wild animals shall retrieve the introduced wild animal for the person or take measures to mitigate the impact at the expense of the person ordered to retrieve the introduced wild animal, and can simultaneously impose a fine above RMB 10,000 and below RMB 50,000.

Article 53:Where any person violates the provision of Article 36 of this Law by counterfeiting, altering, trading or transferring relevant licenses, documents or marks, the agencies supervising conservation of wild animals shall confiscate the illegal licenses, documents or marks, simultaneously impose a fine above RMB 50,000 and below RMB 200,000, confiscate his illegal incomes, if any, and if the person commits a crime, pursue his criminal liability in line with relevant provisions of the criminal law.

Article 54: Where any person causes a loss to agricultural crops or other losses on account of the hunting of wild animals, the hunter shall compensate such loss.

Article 55: Where the agency supervising conservation of wild animals and other agencies commit one of the following behaviors, the leader held liable and the person assuming direct liability shall be punished with a record of demerit, a record of serious demerit or demotion; where a severe consequence is caused, the leader held liable and the person assuming the direct liability shall be dismissed from the position or discharged, and the major principal of the agency shall take the blame and resign; and where the circumstances are severe enough to constitute a crime, criminal liability shall be pursued:

(1) Approve and issue the franchised hunting license, hunting license, artificial breeding license, import or export permit or special mark to an applicant who does not meet the approval conditions;

(2) Violate the provisions of this Law, and approve and issue the approval document and the environmental impact assessment document regarding the sale, acquisition and utilization of wild animals under national major conservation and their products;

3. Fail to make the decision that shall be made to stop illegal behaviors, restore the original conditions within a given timeframe [NB: restore the environment to its original state], withdraw the license or confiscate physical goods and illegal incomes according to the law;

4. Fail to investigate and punish behaviors in violation of this Law after discovering or receiving the report of such behaviors; or

5. Other illegal behaviors specified by laws and regulations.

Chapter V: Supplementary Provisions

Article 56:The standards and methods for assessing the values of hunting spoils and wildlife specified by this Law will be established by the wildlife protection departments under the State Council.

Article 57: Endangered wild animals prescribed by international conventions to which China is a party can be managed as wild animals under national major conservation to the extent of the scope of application of this Law upon the approval from the agencies of the State Council supervising conservation of wild animals.

Article 58: Physical goods confiscated in accordance with the provisions of this Law shall be disposed of by the agencies supervising conservation of wild animals or agencies they authorize.

Article 59: The agencies of the State Council supervising conservation of wild animals shall formulate implementation rules in accordance with this Law, and implement the same after reporting to the State Council for approval.

The standing committees of the people’s congresses of the provinces, autonomous regions and direct-administration municipalities may formulate implementation rules in accordance with this Law.

Article 60: This Law takes effect on xxxx/xx/xx.