Man on trial for hunting wild birds

A man accused of illegally capturing 37 wild birds will go on trial, according to Shanghai Railway Transportation Procuratorate.

Between mid-November and December 6, 2017, the suspect surnamed Gu allegedly captured 11,000-yuan (US$1,754) worth of birds, among them protected species like pale thrush and common blackbird, in Chongming District.

Prosecutors said Gu caught the rare birds and intended to eat them later at home.

Chongming, which has a nature reserve for birds, has banned wildlife hunting. Gu will be tried for illegal hunting and faces a jail term of up to three years.

He also stands accused of destroying the country’s wildlife resources, causing loss to the state and harming the public interests.

Prosecutors are demanding that he make a public apology and compensate the government.

It is the city’s first case of its kind where prosecutors filed a public interest lawsuit against criminal suspect.

After the amendments to China’s Civil Procedure Law last year, prosecutors on behalf of citizens, can sue people who harm public interests by destroying the eco-system and fraud in food and drug business.

Previously, there was no framework to specify who was eligible to file a lawsuit to seek compensation.