China moves to protect endangered livestock, poultry species

China has unveiled a plan to protect the country's livestock and poultry genetic resources from now to 2020.

At present, 18 percent of all the country's local poultry and livestock species are endangered or on the verge of extinction, the Ministry of Agriculture said in the latest plan.

By 2020, China aims to provide effective protection to more than 95 percent of species under national-level protection and more than 80 percent of species under provincial-level protection, the plan said.

China has discovered 545 local livestock and poultry species by far, representing about a sixth of the world's total. The genetic resources carry strategic importance for its ecological and agricultural safety.

However, many local species lack sufficient protection due to outdated infrastructure, flawed monitoring and early warning, as well as the lack of professional management institutions and personnel.

The country will fine-tune its catalog of species that should receive national-level protection and improve the protection system that includes conservation farms, protected areas and gene banks.

It will also improve the monitoring of those resources, reinforce management and seek scientific protection by introducing research institutions, colleges and companies, the plan said. Endi