Eating shark for attention, influencer banned

[4] Compiled from: Red Star News
 
A social media influencer from Sichuan nicknamed "Tizi" has been thrust into the spotlight after posting videos of herself cooking a shark in boiling water and grilling it, sparking widespread controversy. The shark involved was identified as a great white shark, also known as a man-eater shark, originating from Fujian. Subsequently, the influencer's accounts on two major short-video platforms were both banned.

 
 

Case review
In January 2023, the Nanchong Municipal Administration for Market Regulation in Sichuan Province, during its "Spring Thunder Action 2023" enforcement campaign, investigated and penalized a case involving the illegal purchase and consumption of a nationally protected wild animal (the great white shark), imposing a fine of 125,000 yuan on the individual involved, Jin.
 
In August 2022, the Nanchong Municipal Market Supervision Bureau received a case referral from relevant authorities, alleging that a person surnamed Jin in Gaoping District of the city was suspected of illegally purchasing and consuming wildlife under special state protection. The Nanchong Municipal Market Supervision Bureau immediately conducted a preliminary verification of the leads and filed the case for investigation. The investigation revealed that the party involved, Jin (online alias "Tizi"), purchased a shark on Taobao on April 13, 2022, for 7,700 yuan. On May 29 and June 2, Jin staged photo shoots with the shark and cooked and consumed it. On July 12, Jin posted a video of cooking and eating the shark on the online platforms Kuaishou and Douyin, which subsequently drew widespread attention across the internet.
 
According to the DNA barcoding identification of residual tissue samples conducted by the South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, the shark purchased and cooked by the parties involved is the great white shark, a Class II protected animal under the List of National Key Protected Wild Animals of China. The agricultural and rural authorities determined that the great white shark is valued at 25,000 yuan. The parties' actions violated the relevant provisions of the Wildlife Protection Law of the People's Republic of China, and the Nanchong Municipal Market Supervision Administration imposed administrative penalties on them in accordance with the law.
 
It is reported that the shark seller and catcher, Shen and Yan, have been arrested with approval by the Dongshan County People's Procuratorate in Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province.
 
 
Wildlife Protection Law of the People's Republic of China
Article 30  
It is prohibited to produce or operate food made from nationally protected wild animals or their products, or food made from non-nationally protected wild animals or their products without legal source certification. It is prohibited to illegally purchase nationally protected wild animals or their products for consumption.
 
Article 49  
[1] Anyone who, in violation of Article 30 of this Law, produces, operates, or uses food made from nationally protected wild animals or their products, or from non-nationally protected wild animals or their products without legal source certification, or illegally purchases nationally protected wild animals or their products for consumption, shall be ordered by the competent department of wildlife protection or the market supervision and administration department of the people's government at or above the county level, according to their respective responsibilities, to cease the illegal act, confiscate the wild animals, their products, and illegal gains, and impose a fine of not less than two times but not more than ten times the value of the wild animals and their products; if a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued according to law.
 
 
[1] The author's perspective
[2] In recent years, the trend of internet celebrity eating broadcasts has emerged. To attract more attention, hosts have to rack their brains for unique strategies, from competitive eaters to rare ingredients, with an increasing variety of themes and gimmicks, making it easy to cross the legal red line inadvertently.
 
From this incident, although the internet celebrity "Tizi" did not know that the shark she purchased was a national second-class protected animal, and therefore lacked subjective intent, a mistake is still a mistake. Although she was not held criminally liable, administrative penalties and account bans on platforms were unavoidable, and her mukbang career came to an abrupt end. This shows that as an internet celebrity blogger in the modern era, having good looks or a special skill alone is far from enough. In today's society governed by the rule of law, as public figures, they should possess legal awareness, and their teams should also include professional legal service staff to avoid such risks. After all, in the era of self-media, once banned, making a comeback is extremely difficult.