Coronavirus 2019-2020 thread (no unsubstantiated rumours!)

[Deleted member 13312]

Wildlife meat can never be safely procured and eaten because having such a great variety is going to overburden the system. More standards, inspection and certiification.

There will be more illegal suppliers who bypass the system by catching from the wild.

And enforcing a complete ban over 1.3 billion people is not ? Its like you aren't even going to try first.

 

[broadsword]

Again, lessening exposure is going to be moot if people are going to actively try to hide the fact that they doing something illegal.

If there is no ban, anyone who wants wildlife meat will have it. There will initinal resistance, but as time goes by with punitive actions, more and more people will be deterred.

 

[broadsword]

And enforcing a complete ban over 1.3 billion people is not ? Its like you aren't even going to try first.

It has to start from somewhere. Banning something has been done everywhere before. Just look at the Islamic society.

 

[Jura The idiot]

Again, lessening exposure is going to be moot if people are going to actively try to hide the fact that they doing something illegal.

what do you
Viktor Jav
suggest then, exactly:


(I guess you know it'd be a major problem for China if people got infected again by selling/buying/consuming something perilous)

 

[Deleted member 13312]

I don't think this entire reaction was merely because unregulated wildlife products were a vector of disease, but that there has been an growing changing mood in Chinese society towards whether certain animal products (not just wildlife) should be consumed in general.

This particular epidemic just happened to paint more of a spotlight and accelerate people's attitudes on it.



Now, you are correct that a blanket ban without any other supportive measures may not be wholly effective in curbing consumption of various animal products, but I also don't think that a blanket ban is something to fear simply because it might drive some activity underground where it is harder to regulate.

IMO the net effect of banning certain products and the stigma associated with it and the actual legal and prosecutory processes involved in enforcing the law can produce a significant net positive, especially if paired with public education and PR campaigns to change societal attitudes.

IMO driving such activities underground is really something to be feared as the consequences are much severe then the mere banning of something that is undesirable. Withholding of vital information during a pandemic outbreak is the prefect kindling for a fire.
If there is a growing population of people in China that is against eating wildlife then such bans would be unnecessary and at worse will just polarize the population into different groups that refuses to cooperate.

 

[KYli]

what do you
Viktor Jav
suggest then, exactly:


(I guess you know it'd be a major problem for China if people got infected again by selling/buying/consuming something perilous)

How about we exterminate all the bats. Problems solve.

 

[Deleted member 13312]

what do you
Viktor Jav
suggest then, exactly:


(I guess you know it'd be a major problem for China if people got infected again by selling/buying/consuming something perilous)

Like what I have always suggested before, create a channel whereby people can sell and purchase wildlife products that are properly certificated and regulated. It may be more expensive but that can be offset by funneling the cost onto the consumers themselves.

 

[Deleted member 13312]

It has to start from somewhere. Banning something has been done everywhere before. Just look at the Islamic society.

You do know that Islamic society did not ban alcohol wholesale at once right ? It first started as a general discouragement to be drunk during prayer hours which then become a general ban decades later.

 

[Deleted member 13312]

If there is no ban, anyone who wants wildlife meat will have it. There will initinal resistance, but as time goes by with punitive actions, more and more people will be deterred.

And if we do ban it, people who wants wildlife meat will go to underground channels to get it and if an outbreak does occurs people will not report it for fear of being charged.

 

[broadsword]

IMO driving such activities underground is really something to be feared as the consequences are much severe then the mere banning of something that is undesirable. Withholding of vital information during a pandemic outbreak is the prefect kindling for a fire.
If there is a growing population of people in China that is against eating wildlife then such bans would be unnecessary and at worse will just polarize the population into different groups that refuses to cooperate.

It is because there is a core minority who insists on their culinary preference, the government needs to intervene. It will take time for the underground market to diminish to negligible level.