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Following is a question by the Hon Albert Ho and a reply by the Acting Secretary for the Environment, Dr Kitty Poon, in the Legislative Council today (January 6):
Question:
The Hong Kong Government strictly regulates the trade in endangered species through the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586), so as to enforce the requirements of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Any regulated species listed by the Conference of the Parties to CITES will be correspondingly brought under the regulatory control of the local legislation. It was reported last month that American scientists applied DNA forensic technology for the first time and uncovered that out of the 62 scalloped hammerhead shark fin samples taken from the Hong Kong market, 13 (i.e. 21%) came from sharks in the western Atlantic of the species scalloped hammerhead, an endangered species listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Yet, this species of shark has not yet been listed by the Parties to CITES as one subject to restriction on import and export. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) apart from following CITES and list certain shark species as species subject to restriction on import and export, whether it will amend the aforesaid Ordinance to list those endangered species listed by IUCN as species subject to restriction on import and export; if so, of the details of the shark species to be so listed; if not, the reasons for that;
(b) given that it has been reported that Hong Kong is one of the largest consumer markets for shark fins in the world, whether it will, apart from amending the relevant legislation, implement other measures to lower the demand for shark fins, so as to reduce the chance of sharks becoming extinct; if so, of the details; and
(c) of the number of people prosecuted in the past three years for breaching the aforesaid Ordinance by illegally importing the endangered species concerned, as well as the penalties imposed on them in general?
Reply:
President,
My answers to the three parts of the question are as follows:
(a) The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is committed to the protection of endangered species and implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Through the enforcement of the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (the Ordinance), the trade in endangered species listed in the CITES Appendices is strictly controlled.
As an international conservation network, the works of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) include compiling a list which lists out the conservation status of different species around the world. In considering whether to list certain species in the CITES Appendices, the CITES Conference of the Parties will also draw reference from the list compiled by IUCN.
In March 2010, the CITES Conference of the Parties will consider the listing of other shark species, including the IUCN-listed threatened shark species (including scalloped hammerhead shark). The HKSAR Government will closely follow the international control as required by CITES on the trade in endangered species. Species listed in CITES Appendices at the Conference of the Parties will be put under the control of the Ordinance accordingly.
(b) Besides legislative amendment, public education also plays an important part in the implementation of CITES in Hong Kong. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has paid considerable publicity and educational efforts to raise public awareness in endangered species protection. The AFCD organises a series of educational and publicity activities annually, which include dissemination of relevant information through the media and internet, distribution of leaflets and posters, organisation of exhibitions and seminars; and running of the Endangered Species Resources Centre for educational purpose, etc.
(c) Illegal import of endangered species contrary to the provisions of the Ordinance is liable to a maximum penalty of a fine of $5 million and imprisonment for two years. The number of successful prosecutions related to illegal import of endangered species and the penalties involved, from 2007 to end November 2009, are as follows:
2007 2008 2009
(Jan to Nov)
Successful 73 61 69
prosecution
Fine $100-$40,000 $100-$60,000 $100-$60,000
Imprisonment 2-4 months 2-4 months 2-8 months
Ends/Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Issued at HKT 13:15
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