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Following is a question by the Hon Fred Li and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (April 9):
Question:
I have learnt that some illegal animal breeding farms in Hong Kong supply animals to pet shops. Some workers in these breeding farms have told me that staff of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) will inspect their breeding farms regularly and provide vaccination for the dogs in the farms. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the current estimated number of illegal animal breeding farms located on agricultural or Government land;
(b) apart from the animal trader licence issued by AFCD, of any other licences that such breeding farms are required to obtain in order to become legally operated breeding farms, and whether illegal breeding farms located on agricultural land must apply to the Town Planning Board for change of land use zoning and obtain its approval before they can be granted such licences; and
(c) given that the Government is now considering controlling the sources of animals in pet shops, whether the authorities will consider following the overseas practice of issuing a separate licence for animal breeding farms to differentiate the licence for such breeding farms from that for pet shops and to effectively regulate the operation of the trade, so as to ensure that the operating environment of such breeding farms complies with the prescribed standards and incidents of animals being abused and abandoned will not happen; if so, of the timetable for implementing the relevant measures; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) does not have statistics on the number of unlicensed animal breeding facilities now operating in Hong Kong. The Department will take enforcement action against an animal breeding facility once such facility is found to be operating without a licence. Since 2006, a total of 17 prosecutions were instituted in relation to unlicensed trading of animals, of which four were related to unlicensed animal breeding facilities. Two of such facilities are currently understood to be sitting on agricultural or Government land.
The claim that AFCD staff inspect unlicensed animal breeding facilities regularly and provide vaccination for the dogs therein is incorrect. In fact, the AFCD inoculation teams visit remote villages to provide vaccination and dog licensing services for the dogs reared by the villagers with the aim to facilitate villagers so that they can register and obtain licences for their dogs without having to travel away from their villages with their dogs. Such a service has nothing to do with animal breeding facilities.
(b) & (c) At present, all animal traders, including animal breeding facilities and pet shops, must hold an animal trader licence issued by AFCD and strictly observe the licensing conditions and the Code of Practice stipulated by the Department under the Public Health (Animals and Birds) (Animal Traders) Regulations.
In fact, pet shops and animal breeding facilities are already differentiated under the animal trader licence system. They are subject to different and appropriate controls imposed through their respective licensing conditions and Codes of Practice, which are formulated for the protection of public health and animal welfare.
AFCD also plans to revise the licensing conditions in mid 2008, requiring animal traders to sell only dogs from approved sources (including dogs legally imported or sourced from other licensed animal traders). This will help tighten control on the sources of dogs and prevent the operation of unlicensed animal breeding facilities.
Animal breeding facilities wishing to apply for an animal trader licence from AFCD must meet the requirements of the Outline Zoning Plan (OZP). An animal breeding facility is regarded as an "Animal Boarding Establishment" use under the OZP. Animal breeding facilities hoping to use land zoned "Agriculture" on the OZP for "Animal Boarding Establishment" use must apply for a planning permission from the Town Planning Board under Section 16 of the Town Planning Ordinance. Applicants must ensure that they have complied with the relevant requirements. AFCD stands ready to assist applicants in liaising with the Planning Department and Lands Department for planning permission applications where necessary.
Ends/Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Issued at HKT 15:26
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