China丨Regulation to protect wild mushrooms in Yunnan

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The Chuxiong Yi autonomous prefecture in Yunnan province has become the first region in China to implement a specific regulation for the protection and management of wild mushrooms. The new rules, which will come into effect on Aug 1, aim to ensure the sustainable development of the lucrative industry while safeguarding valuable natural resources. The regulation addresses concerns over excessive harvesting, a growing issue fueled by surging wild mushroom prices. "In recent years, strong market demand has led to people picking immature, mature and fully opened mushrooms all at once," said Dong Qidong, mayor of Wujie township, adding that the unsustainable practice threatens the long-term viability of wild mushroom beds. Eleven years ago, "mountain contracts" for mushroom picking were introduced, which allow collective forest lands to be contracted to individuals through competitive bidding. The contractors are responsible for harvesting and protecting the mushrooms, giving them incentiv ………………………………