Hong Kong to introduce citywide ban on feeding wild animals in move aimed at tackling boar problem
- Legislative amendment to expand ban to be tabled in the Legislative Council on Wednesday for ‘negative vetting’
- Current ban on feeding wild animals only includes select areas, such as Lion Rock, Kam Shan and Shing Mun country parks
Hong Kong is set to expand a ban on feeding wild animals to cover the entire city by the end of this year in a move aimed at tackling a rapid growth in the population of wild boars.
A government spokesman on Friday said authorities had gazetted a legislative amendment to expand the ban, which would be tabled in the Legislative Council on Wednesday for “negative vetting” and come into effect on December 31.
“Negative vetting” refers to a process in which urgent legislation could take effect before facing scrutiny from lawmakers.
According to the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance, a wild animal is any non-domestic animal. Stray cats and dogs are not considered wild animals under the law, while the legal status of pigeons remains uncertain.
Currently, the Feeding Ban Area under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance covers only five natural areas, such as the Lion Rock, Kam Shan, and Shing Mun country parks, as well as part of the Tai Mo Shan Country Park and part of the Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve.
Apart from expanding the area covered, the spokesman also said that the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department was planning to further amend the relevant ordinance to increase the penalty for illegal feeding, and also introduce a fixed fine to enhance the deterrent effect.
At present, anyone who violates the Feeding Area Ban could be fined up to HK$10,000 (US$1,273), while those caught feeding wild pigs outside the areas listed in the ordinance could face a penalty of HK$1,500 under anti-littering regulations.
