The local government of Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province has banned people from freeing captive animals outside of new designated areas, levying a fine on violators, Kunming Daily reported Sunday.

According to the regulation, areas for fishing and freeing captive animals will be established in the Dianchi ecological zone, a major local nature reserve. People who fish or free captive animals outside these areas will be find up to 1,000 yuan ($154).

It also said that people who move or destroy signs or animal protection infrastructure in the Dianchi zone will be fined up to 1,000 yuan.

Recently, the practice of freeing animals - known as "mercy release" - has triggered nationwide criticism following several media reports which said that such releases may not only lead to the deaths of the animals released, but can damage ecosystems and cause inconvenience or even endanger people.

The idea of mercy releases is based on the belief that releasing animals will boost the releasers' good karma and bring them luck.

In August 2014, a picture published in the Nandu Daily showing a woman releasing venomous snakes in a park in South China's Guangdong Province went viral online, with many accusing her of putting people at risk.

Half of around 1,000 animals, including foxes and minks, that were freed in the village of Qiongtai in East China's Zhejiang Province died after a week, media reported.

Both the Ministry of Agriculture and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Agriculture have guidelines restricting the types of animals that can be released as well as the places they can be released into.