PENN
15 -
I'm quite sure that the HKSPCA are reasonably correct in what they report to us. But I think they have had dealings in the past, or some of their Inspectors have, with some of the shop people - people in the shop who tend to be more left wing than others, and they are a little bit reluctant to appear in Court and give evidence.
The SPCA's Chinese Inspectors take their cue from the European staff and the Committee. The Society emerges as a pathetic non-factor in this issue the one Hong Kong group whose clear mandate is to act on the trade and publicly, anyway, has failed to do so.
The Committee of well-intentioned businessmen and women are preoccupied with clinic work and ad hoc care of strays, and like the Government they regard the Communist trade as politically sensitive. An interview with the Chairman, Nr. John Salmon, was initially refused then granted with Government blessing, but it revealed no independent views or policies. This description of the Society's so-called 'research' into the controversial slaughter of civets for food in Hong Kong reflects its very flabby acceptance of the Government line.
Salmon.
I understand they did some dealer research. In other words they visited places which were said to be slaughtering civet cats
to see whether they could evidence any mis-treatment of these cats.
Penn
They only spoke to people in the trade?
Salmon
Yes. And they also spoke to people in Government.
Agriculture and Fisheries Department who were also very much involved with this at the time laid on a- a demonstration killing at which SPCA officials were invited to attend. Um - and were satisfied subsequently that if indeed this was the method which was usually used, or always used, then professionally there was no cruelty
considered not to be crual.
Penn
How was this demonstration killing set up?
Salmon
I believe it was I don't know in which particular shop it was set up, but it was set up in one of the shops, and some of our people attended..... together with vets from the Agriculture and Fisheries Department.