On the list approved for consumption are pigs, cattle, goats, donkeys, rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons and quail. People are allowed to eat other livestock and poultry raised for the purpose of consumption. The eating of aquatic animals is not banned under the new rule.

The authorities will compensate business owners who breed and raise animals for losses caused by the new law.

The Shenzhen move was dubbed “the strictest in history” by Chinese state media. Consumers of protected wildlife will be fined five to 30 times the value of the animals, while businesses owners will be fined three to 10 times their illicit income. The illegal acts will be recorded on China’s social credit system.

Animal rights groups believe, or at least hope, the Shenzhen ban will start a domino effect in other cities.

“[We believe] the ban will lead the national trend against the consumption of dogs and cats across China,” a spokesman for PETA Asia said.

“Animal-borne viruses won't just magically go away. The easiest way to help prevent full-blown epidemics is to avoid meat and other animal-derived foods like the plague.”

However, the next challenge would be to enforce those rules and close loopholes in the national ban, animal rights activists said.

“No legal ban is effective unless there is also strict enforcement,” said animal welfare lawyer Amanda Whitfort.

“It remains to be seen how effective enforcement will be in regard to this new ban on domestic animal eating but given the importance of the new wildlife consumption ban in controlling the spread of zoonotic diseases, authorities are taking stronger action than has been seen before.”

The national ban does not cover aquatic animals, livestock, poultry and other animals that have long been bred in China. Use of wild animals for scientific and medical purposes may continue although management of such facilities will be strengthened.

“These loopholes are pretty significant and could be used to maintain some level of wildlife trade, which then maintains the preconditions for the emergence of another disease,” said David Olson, director of conservation at WWF-Hong Kong.

Olson said the Chinese government needed to end the sale of wildlife in wet markets, warehouses and on the internet to significantly reduce the risk of future pandemics, citing diseases that originated from wildlife, such as Sars, Ebola, Mers and bird flu.