Into the wild(2)

It is common in China for people to post pictures of themselves performing mercy releases on social media platforms such as Sina Weibo as evidence of their "good deed."

"It should be spontaneous and natural, and not purely for their own profit," said Xian.

"Some people are very single-minded. They release animals because they hope it will bring riches or long life to themselves or their families. To me, this is not a real mercy release."

"When you perform a mercy release, you need to be circumspect," Xian added. "One of the basic tenants of Buddhism is selflessness."

Zhou was far more direct about the issue.

"Purchasing [animals to be mercy released] actually stimulates and encourages the hunting and trading of wild animals, which does more harm than good," said Zhou. "It's estimated that behind every living bird that people purchase from the market, there will be 10 that have died during capture, transportation or sale."

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush?

Of much greater concern to animal rights and conservation groups is the potential damage of mercy releases to the animals themselves, as well as to other animals living in the environments in which they are released.

At the end of last month, the Legal Mirror reported that thousands of fish that had been released into the Tonghui River were floating dead because the temperature of the water was not suited to the breed of fish that had been released. In another incident reported in the Beijing Times last August, crowds of onlookers awaited the mercy release of a large number of fish, so they could wade it and procure the fish to be eaten.

Zhou said that many people who practiced mercy release did not have a proper understanding of the animals they were releasing.

"If they are forcibly 'released' into the wild, it will only accelerate their deaths, or the risks of predation," said Zhou. "For example, some residents forcibly 'release' turtles that are land-bound into rivers, an environment that they cannot survive in. They 'release' thousands of snakes into ecosystems where they'll cause great damage, not to mention creating panic among local residents."

Zhou further noted that animals purchased to be released often suffered injury or illness due to stress or fear during capture, transport, and trading.

People are the problem

Both the Ministry of Agriculture and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Agriculture have guidelines restricting the types of animals that can be released as well as the places they can be released into.

Regulations put in place by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Agriculture permit nine species of fish to be released in the city's waters, including black carp, grass carp and loach. The releasing of fish is only permitted in the Haizi reservoir in Pinggu county, Zhaitang reservoir in Mentougou district, Beitaishang reservoir in Huairou district and Shisanling reservoir in Changping district.

Violating the regulations carries a fine of 50 to 5,000 yuan, but many who practice mercy release are not even aware that such regulations exist.

To promote a greater awareness of the regulations and to inform the public of how they might practice the ritual of mercy release more responsibly, the State Administration for Religious Affairs held a seminar at the end of last month. Representatives from governmental authorities, religious associations, and animal protection organizations gave talks, and the event was supported in a press release by the Buddhist Association of China encouraging followers to educate themselves about the natural habitat of species and the possible consequences on the ecosystem of the place they are performing mercy releases before engaging in the practice.

However, Zhou said that it was often quite difficult for laymen to get an adequate grasp of all the factors involved, and suggested that if people were determined to engage in the practice of mercy release, they should consult the proper organizations.

"I would advise citizens to contact animal and wildlife protection organizations, and participate in their initiatives," Zhou said.