General Situation

Species   There were about 6,266 vertebrate species in China (including about 500 beasts, 1,258 birds, 376 reptiles, 284 amphibians and 3,862 fishes), accounting for around 10% of the world's total.China had over 30,000 higher plants species and ranked the third in the world only after Malaysia and Brazil. Among the above-mentioned flora there were 106 families of mosses, taking up 70% of the world's total; 2,600 species of ferns included in 52 families, accounting for 80% and 26% of the world's total in terms of family and species respectively; 8,000 species of woody plants including 2,000 species of arbors. Out of the 750 gymnosperm species in 71 genera of 12 families, China boasted over 240 species in 34 genera of 11 families. The species number of conifer in China registered 37.8% of the world's total while the number of angiosperm took up 54% and 24% of the world's total in terms of family and genera respectively. In addition, the named insects of China amounted over 3,000.

Since most regions of China have not been affected by the tertiary and quaternary continental glacier, a great number of peculiar species were conserved. According to relevant statistics, around 476 species of terrestrial vertebrate were exclusive in China, accounting for 19.42% of the total number of terrestrial vertebrate species in China. Around two thirds of amphibian species were exclusive in China. Among the over 30,000 species of higher plants, about 50%~60% were exclusive in China. A series of animals and plants such as giant panda, golden monkey, red ibis, South China tiger, takin, Tibetan antelope, brown-eared pheasant, Chinese monal, white-flag dolphin, Chinese alligator, metasequoia, silver fir, Dovetree, Taiwania Hayata, gingkgo, Abies Beshanzuensis and Emmenopterys Henryi Oliv were all rare and endangered animal and plant species exclusive in China.

Current Situation and the Change of Endangered Species  With continued progress of the conservation project of wildlife and the conservation and restoration of the habitats of endangered species, the trend of sharp decrease of most wild fauna and flora resources under national protection had already been effectively curbed, and their population dynamics were getting stable. With the implementation of such conservation and breeding measures of endangered wild species, stable artificial population had already been established for over 200 rare and endangered wild animals, and over 1,000 rare and endangered wild flora were under sound protection in breeding bases such as botanical gardens. In particular, the population of such extremely endangered wild fauna and flora species of giant panda, red ibis, Chinese alligator, yew, orchid family and cycad were kept rising. In 2005, for giant panda alone, 25 were born across the country with 21 having survived. By the end of 2005, the population of artificially fed giant pandas across China had totaled 183, and the work of letting endangered wild animals return to the nature including giant panda, red ibis, wild horse, elk, Chinese alligator and so on were advancing steadily.

However, generally speaking, the situation of insufficiency and over-consumption of wildlife resources in China was still grave with the following reflections: due to damage and over-exploitation of their habitats, the population diminishing trend of some non-national key protected wild plant and animal species hadn't been altered, especially for those of high economic value.

Wetland  China is home to abundant wetland resources with all types of wetland in the world existing in China. Besides, it also had the type of highland wetland exclusive in China. According to the statistics of the National Wetland Resource Survey (1995~2003), China has 38.48 million ha of all types of wetland with the area over 100 ha each at present. Among them, 36.2 million ha were natural wetlands, accounting for 3.77% of the national territory, and the rest were 2.28 million ha of manmade wetlands (only reservoirs and ponds). Natural wetlands accounted for 94% of the total, among which 5.94 million ha were coastal wetlands (accounting for 15%), 8.21 million ha were river wetlands (accounting for 21%), 8.35 million ha were lake and pond wetlands (accounting for 22%) and 13.7 million ha were marsh swamps (taking up 36% of the total). Manmade wetlands registered 6% of the total area. In 2005, China had designated 9 wetlands as international key wetlands. Up to now, there are altogether 30 wetlands of China listed in the Catalogue of International Key Wetlands.

The wetlands of China bear rich biodiversity including 101 families of flora with over 100 species of higher plants among the category of endangered ones. The fauna and flora species of the coastal wetlands numbered around 8,200 (including 5,000 plants and 3,200 animals), while the inland wetlands boasted about 1,548 species of higher plants, over 1,500 species of higher animals and over 770 species of fresh water fishes. The species of birds in wetlands of China were diverse with the appearance of 31 out of the 57 endangered bird species in Asia (accounting for 54% of the total). They were also home to 50 species of ducks (accounting for 30% of the total) out of the 166 around the world; 9 recorded species of cranes out of the 15 over the world. Additionally, many birds of these wetlands were transnational migrant ones. Some of the wetlands in China were even the only wintering place or the only place on their migration route for some bird species. For instance, the Grus Leucogeranus wintering at Poyang Lake took up over 95% of its population over the globe.

Countermeasures and Actions

【Development of Nature Reserves】In July of 2005, the General Office of the State Council issued a Circular approving the establishment of 17 State-level Nature Reserves with total area of 728,000 ha involving 12 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions including Hebei, Inner Mongolia, etc. By the end of 2005, China had established 2,349 nature reserves of different types and levels covering a total area of 149.95 million ha including 143.95 million ha of land area of about 15% of the total national territory. The number of nature reserves rose by 155, and the total area increased by 1.72 million ha compared with that of the previous year. Among all the nature reserves, 243 were State-level Nature Reserves covering the area of 88.99 million ha, accounting for 10% of the total number and 59% of the total area of all the nature reserves over the country.

【Wetland Protection】In 2005, China tremendously intensified the basic work of wetland protection, the legislation on wetland made great headways, the organizational construction of administrative organs on wetland protection was consolidated, and various wetland conservation projects were conducted actively to intensify the construction of nature reserves and wetland parks. In 2005, the State Council approved the National Program on the Implementation of Wetland Protection in China. So far, 17.15 million ha of wetlands representing around 45% of the total area of wetlands in China have already been included in 473 nature reserves with the addition of more than 20 wetland types of nature reserves in 2005 alone.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was vigorously implemented to promote the protection of wetland. On November 8^th~15^th of 2005, the Chinese Delegation attended the 9^th Conference of Parties (COP9) of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. At the Conference, China was successfully elected as the member of the Standing Committee and the Financial Group of the Convention and for the first time became its standing member. Professor Cai Shuming from the Chinese Academy of Sciences also become the first Chinese laureate of the "Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award". In May of 2005, China and the Secretariat of the Convention jointly held the Asian Regional Conference on theRamsar Convention on Wetlands successfully.

【Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity】In line with the requirements of COP7 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, SEPA actively arranged related departments and experts to dully complete the Third National Report on the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity as well as some special reports. SEPA also held multiple work meetings for the Coordinating Group of the Convention, which had enhanced the communication and understanding between different departments. It had also actively initiated a serial of publicity activities on the "International Biodiversity Day" including the holding of the symposia in commemoration of the "International Biodiversity Day" participated by journalists from 20 major media in its capital Beijing; the News Briefing on the "International Biodiversity Day"; activities on the "International Biodiversity Day", etc. Local EPB also enfolded wide-ranging publicity activities on the same issue, fostering a sound social atmosphere for the protection of biodiversity. They also organized special training courses on biodiversity conservation, which had enhanced the administration on biodiversity conservation.

【Implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Bio-safety to the Convention on Biological Diversity】On April 27 of 2005, the State Council approved China's accession into the Cartagena Protocol on Bio-safety to the Convention on Biological Diversity (hereinafter referred to as the Protocol on Bio-safety). The authorization documents were submitted to and put in file at the headquarters of the United Nations on June 8 of 2005. The Protocol on Bio-safety took effect in China on September 6 of 2005 at which China formally became a party of the Protocol on Bio-safety.

The 2^nd Meeting of the COP2 of the Protocol on Bio-safety was held from May 30 to June 3 of 2005 in Montreal of Canada. The Chinese Delegation composed of officials from SEPA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MOST, MOFCOM, the Ministry of Agriculture, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, CAS, China University of Political Science and Law and the Hong Kong SAR Government actively participated in the Meeting.

【Work Progress on the Protection of Biological Species Resources】At the beginning of 2005, SEPA teamed up with the members of the Inter-ministerial Joint Meeting on the Protection of Biological Species Resources to embark on the compilation of the Planning on National Protection and Utilization of Biological Species Resources and the study on the Regulations on the Administration of the Protection of Biological Species Resources. In November of 2005, the 3^rd Inter-ministerial Joint Meeting on the Protection of Biological Species Resources adopted the text of the Planning in principle and put forward some constructive suggestions on the drafting of the Regulations.

Also in 2005, SEPA, together with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Agriculture, State Forestry Administration, CAS, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine as well as other relevant departments, continued the key survey work on national biological species resources. As a result, the first batch of biological species resources catalogue was accomplished in 2005.

In an effort to properly carry out the No. 10 special issue of the "study on the issue of biological resources IPR" in the National Intellectual Property Rights Strategy study, SEPA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MOST, the Ministry of Agriculture, MOFCOM, the Ministry of Public Health, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine,State Forestry Administration, State Intellectual Property Office, State Food and Drug Administration, CAS and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 11 responsible departments in total jointly mapped out the Work Plan on the Study of IPR Protection of Biological Resources and special task description, pinpointing the content, target as well as work division of the study on IPR protection of biological resources for each department.

【Prevention and Control of Alien Invasive Species】In 2005, the Ministry of Agriculture formulated and issued the Contingency Plan for Major Agricultural Incidents Concerning Harmful Species and Alien Invasive Species, collected the information and data of over 300 alien invasive species, established the database of alien invasive species in China and compiled the Catalogue of Major Agricultural and Forest Alien Invasive Species in China. In addition, the ministry also conducted adaptability risk assessment of 10 major potential invasive species. It carried out the demonstration of comprehensive technologies on the prevention and control of 8 invasive weed species and four invasive insects, continued the initiative of wiping out alien invasive species in 100 counties of 10 provinces by mobilizing more than 10 million person/time to carry out concentrated wiping out of such weeds as purple-stem herba lycopi, ragweed, alternanthera philoxeroides and little-blossom caltrop. As a result, the above mentioned plants were eliminated on over 20 million mu of land or waters.

【International Cooperation】The Implementation Project of UNEP/GEF China Bio-safety Framework was progressed, the Summary Report on the Study of the Development and Impact of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) Related Technologies and the Report on the Study of Bio-safety related policy, Laws and Regulations and Administrative System in China were revised and improved, the technical guidelines, reports on case study as well as other related guidelines on the risk assessment and risk management of GMOs such as GM fish, Bt (Bt – bacillus thruingiensis) cotton, Bt rice, GM soybean, nifA Pseudomonas Smithii, Bt Pseudomonas fluorescens and the safety of genetically modified food were further consolidated, the risk assessment and environmental monitoring experimental study on genetically modified cotton and soybean were also under way, and the designing plan for the National Bio-safety Information Exchange Agency was drawn up.