Large fine for hunting birds in wildlife sanctuary

A man in Jinshan District has been fined nearly 30,000 yuan (US$4,386) and had 24 wild birds confiscated for illegal hunting, Shanghai's greenery authorities reported on Sunday.

Local police received a tip-off in January that the man surnamed Yuan was hunting birds in a forest at Tinglin Town in Jinshan.

More than 20 spotted doves were found at Yuan's home.

Yuan said he hunted birds to provide nourishment for his bed-ridden wife.

He was fined 28,800 yuan by the forestry station of Jinshan District, according to the law enforcement team of Shanghai Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau.

Jinshan District was designated a wildlife sanctuary in March this year.

Its favorable ecological environment has attracted a large number of wildlife, particularly birds. It has 155 wildlife species, of which 10 are second-class national protected animals, and 23 on a city-level protection list. Seven are classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Between October and April, tens of thousands of birds pass through the district, making it peak time for illegal hunting, the bureau said.

More than 1,000 illegal hunting nets are dismantled in the district every year.

The station said it is establishing patrol teams to stamp out illegal hunting.