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NEWS | EASTERN HORIZON 55

The case of two London Buddhists fined for releasing crustaceans into
the sea has thrown the spotlight on a ritual that involves hundreds

of millions of wild animals – and a huge industry built around their
capture and supply

invasive species that may threaten
the survival of the native species.”

A few days after the fangsheng
ritual off the south coast of the UK, a
Brighton fisherman was puzzled to
find non-native lobsters and crabs
among his catch. He alerted the
Marine Management Organisation
(MMO), which chartered boats
and offered local fishermen a
£20-a-head bounty for every alien
crustacean they captured. But only
323 out of a total of more than 700
A Buddhist monk releases a lobster into the ocean. were recovered, and there was
evidence some lobsters had begun
breeding in their new home.
their load into the sea a mile off are devastating consequences of

the coast and returned to shore – injury, illness or death”. In Taiwan
Still, the Brighton incident is far
presumably full of good karma. alone, 200 million wild animals are
from the worst case of fangsheng
used every year in release rituals,
gone wrong. In 2012, followers
The ritual dates back to the third according to HSI in 2012. Fangsheng
of Hai Tao released hundreds of
century, but has seen a resurgence is also practiced in China, Hong
snakes in a mountainous area of
in recent years. Hai Tao, a champion Kong, Singapore, Nepal, the United
Taiwan not native to them, leaving
of animal rights, advocates States and the UK.
locals to deal with regular house
fangsheng – saving the lives of
visits from the serpents. “Releasing
creatures destined for slaughter – as The organisation says many animals
captive animals is good practice,
a way for Buddhists to demonstrate are fatally injured in the ritual,
but releasing snakes into the wild
compassion, create good fortune and those that survive release
hurts society and contravenes the
and earn merit. often die soon afterwards from
intention of mercy,” Hai Tao said at
exhaustion, injury or disease, or
the time.
According to Humane Society else become prey to other species.

International (HSI), hundreds of Some are re-captured after the
In comparison, dumping a few stray
millions of birds, fish, monkeys, ritual and re-sold. Release can also
crabs and lobsters really does seem
turtles and other animals are cause environmental harm, it adds. merciful. EH
involved in acts of fangsheng every Animals “may be released outside
year. But these days, it says, “mercy their natural habitats and in groups
Source: Buddhist Channel www.
release has become an industry large enough to establish breeding
buddhistchannel.tv
built on the capture and supply populations, often wreaking havoc
of wild animals, for whom there on local ecosystems. Some are