In the context of biodiversity conservation in China, a crucial concept is the “Three Haves”, or Sanyou (三有）in Chinese. “Three Haves” animals refer to those listed in the National Forestry and Grassland Administration’s Directory of Terrestrial Wild Animals with Important Ecological, Scientific, and Social Value. The latest version of this directory was released on June 26, 2023.
The newly adjusted “Three Haves” list includes a total of 1924 species of terrestrial wild animals. This includes 91 species of mammals, 1028 species of birds, 450 species of reptiles, 253 species of amphibians, 96 species of insects, 2 species of arachnids, and 4 species of oligochaetes. Compared to the original directory published in 2000, the new list has substantially expanded the scope of wildlife protection by adding more than 700 new species while retaining most of the original species.
Additionally, the new list removes 12 mammal species, 130 bird species, 28 reptile species, 11 amphibian species, and 8 genera of insects already included in the National Key Protected Wild Animals List for stricter protection. Species that do not naturally occur in China, those listed in the National Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources Directory with no wild populations in China, those with widespread distribution and high population numbers without risk of extinction, and those now managed as aquatic species have been removed from the original directory.
China implements a classification and grading system for wildlife protection. Precious and endangered species receive key protection, and terrestrial wild animals not included in the national and local key protected wild animals lists are protected and managed through the Directory of Terrestrial Wild Animals with Important Ecological, Scientific, and Social Value.
This means that “Three Haves” animals are not classified as “rare and endangered species”(濒危珍稀物种).
They are only terrestrial wild animals, which means, excluding aquatic species.
The legal status of “Three Haves” animals prohibits their trade. The trade of these protected animals is banned under the Wildlife Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China. Violators face confiscation of the animals and any illegal proceeds by the industrial and commercial administrative departments, and they may also be fined. Criminal charges may be pursued if the offence constitutes a crime. Specifically, capturing one “Three Haves” animal is illegal, capturing 20 constitutes a crime, and capturing 50 or more is considered a major criminal case. The Wildlife Protection Law requires a hunting permit for hunting non-national key protected wild animals, and hunting must comply with quota management.
Some other questions can also be raised, such as: are the species listed on China’s “Three Haves” consistent with their ratings on the IUCN Red List? And what if a three-have species causes frequent human-wildlife conflicts?
For example, wild boars were removed from the latest “Three Haves” list in 2023 because their population is no longer threatened and, in many areas, their numbers are too high, causing human-wildlife conflicts.
Another example is the Bekko Tombo dragonfly (Libellula angelina), listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, but only included in China’s “Three Haves” directory. This illustrates that some species considered critically endangered globally may correspond to a different protection status in China.
To better understand what’s included in the Three-Haves List, here’s a recommended source to learn the full list of the 1924 “Three Haves” Species (although in Chinese, there’s a scientific name available for international readers), is available here:
Author: Linda Wong (linda.wong@cbcgdf.org)
Editor: LYJ
Contact: v10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776
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