The term wet market is often used to signify a live animal market in which vendors slaughter animals upon customer purchase. They are distinguished from "dry markets" that sell durable goods such as fabric and electronics. Wet markets have become a familiar sight in many countries in Southeast Asia, particularly mainland China. Selling live fish, chickens and wildlife, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables, they get their name from the melting ice used to preserve goods, as well as to wash the floors clean of blood from butchered animals.

Why are they called ‘wet’?

The "wet" in "wet market" refers to the constantly wet floors as a consequence of the spraying of fresh produce and cleaning of meat and seafood stalls. Wet markets get their name in part from the blood, guts, scales and water that soak the stalls’ floors, remnants from animals brutally killed for customers who desire to eat freshly killed meat.

Why wet markets are considered controversial?

They have been linked to outbreaks of zoonotic diseases including coronavirus disease 2019 (Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, China -notorious for trading in wild animals). Research suggests that the virus came from bats, and likely went through an intermediate host, possibly pangolins, before reaching humans.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)—originated in wet markets in the Guangdong province of southern China. It was believed to have jumped to humans from civet cats and other animals that were being sold for consumption. 

Why are wet markets persisting in Asia?

The key reasons for the persistence of wet markets are 

• Lower prices
• Greater freshness of food
• Negotiation opportunities
• Social interaction spaces

Why people eat wild animal species?

• Eating wild animal is considered a symbol of wealth because they are more rare and expensive.
• It's a belief in traditional Chinese medicine that it can boost the immune system.

Role of China:

In 1998, China’s communist government enacted the Wildlife Protection Law, which designated the animals as “resources owned by the state,” and protected people engaged in the “utilization of wildlife resources,” The law encouraged the domestication and breeding of wildlife, which led to a large scale industrialization of the industry. A 2017 report by the Chinese Academy of Engineering estimated that the industry employed more than 14 million people and generated about 520 billion yuan (US$74 billion).

Global response:

Conservation experts say the coronavirus pandemic, which likely originated at a market selling wild animals in China, is a watershed moment for curbing the global wildlife trade, which can drive extinction and spread disease. Banning these markets will not only help prevent the spread of disease, it will address one of the major drivers of species extinction.

In the wake of the initial outbreak in Wuhan, China introduced a ban on all farming and consumption of live wildlife, which is expected to become law later this year. Thousands of wildlife farms raising animals such as porcupines, civets and turtles have been shut down. However, loopholes remain, such as the trade in wild animals for medicine, pets and scientific research. Only recently, the Chinese government appears to have approved the use of an injection - ironically as a coronavirus treatment - that contains bear bile.

Experts have been accenting for years that China can stop pandemics by cleaning up its wet markets for good. UN biodiversity chief has called for a permanent global ban on wildlife markets.