‘[T]he concept of freely shared information is not widely accepted in China. Many
individuals or organizations are unwilling to reveal data either to foreigners or other
Chinese agencies. Though (this) is slowly changing information collection remains
difficult.’^5Notwithstanding these obstacles, Chinese scientists have, within the last two
decades, collected an impressive amount of data on species and ecosystems.
We can observe this in the formation of national lists of endangered and
threatened species.
National Key Species Lists
About 1300 species are listed as protected under the 1988 Wild Animal
Conservation Act (WACA, discussed in detail in Chapter 4). Two categories of
protection are established; I and II. Species in both categories are considered
key (zhongdian), but the type I species are in greatest need of conservation
and require national authorization for any removal. With the exception of
several orchid species, the great majority of listed species are mammals.
The process of listing species as belonging to type I or II is determined by the
State Forestry Administration (SFA) and is not flexible. The list has been
revised just once in the last decade, to upgrade musk deer from class II to
class I.
Scientists and protection officers operate in the realm of uncertainty as to
the total number of species in China, and more importantly, the exact number
which are endangered (close to extinction) or threatened. The approach taken
by the SFA has been to invite scientific experts to advise it on species to be
listed; the agency makes the final determination as to which are listed, and in
what classification.
An ornithologist with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) made these
observations about the identification process:
‘(Do scientists in your institute participate in the listing process?) Yes, we have
experts who participate. The process is under the jurisdiction of the SFA, which is
the major agency for protection of birds in China. It has established the
classification system. Scientists can propose species for listing. (To the SFA
administrator?) Well, he and his deputies are probably busy with less mundane
affairs. We make the recommendations to lower-level officials. (Any controversy
about this?) This is not a very controversial process. In the past, it has not been a
scientific process either. Our interest is in the species we study. It is not easy to
make changes.’^6A SFA middle-level manager with experience of the listing process in China
as well as in other countries made several comments about the nature of the
identification process:
Current status of species and ecosystems 41