PJMAFP
X: WILDLIFE PRESERVATION IN HONG KONG
1.
General
Hong Kong is a party to the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The Hong Kong Government take their responsibilities under the convention very seriously.
The import, export and preservation of rare and endangered species of animals and plants are controlled by law in Hong Kong and their import for use as food is prohibited there.
The Hong Kong authorities do all they can to control movement of rare species at border crossings as well as making spot checks at markets and restaurants in Hong Kong.
2.
Policy review by Hong Kong Government
The Hong Kong Government have largely completed reviewing their policy to see whether measures taken can be stepped up or made more effective. Meanwhile drafting instructions are being prepared with a view to introducing an Amendment Bill in the next Legco session.
3. Rhino Horn
The Hong Kong Government have made arrangements to ban, as from 1 August this year, the internal sale of rhino horn in Hong Kong.
4. Medicine containing rhino ingredients
Because of the difficulty in identifying and defining rhino ingredients it will be necessary to amend the existing legislation in order to ban the sale of medicine claiming to contain rhino
ingredients. This process is time consuming and unlikely to be completed before end of this year.
It was not possible to introduce the ban in July as intended because
it cannot be introduced administratively as originally hoped.