12
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1989
SLOW LORIS A PROTECTED ANIMAL
棠棠
THE
AGRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT
TODAY (TUESDAY)
AND FISHERIES REMINDED THE PUBLIC
SPECIES THAT
ENDANGERED LORIS IS AN SLOW PROTECTED BY THE ANIMALS AND PLANTS (PROTECTION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES) ORDINANCE.
IMPORT, EXPORT OR POSSESSION OF THIS SCHEDULED SPECIES THE PRIOR PERMISSION FROM THE DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUTES AN OFFENCE PUNISHABLE BY A MANDATORY FORFEITURE OF THE SPECIMEN,
REPEATED OFFENDERS
AGRICULTURE MAXIMUM FINE
WILL BE PENALISED $10,000 AND SIX MONTHS' JAIL SENTENCE.
WITHOUT
AND FISHERIES OF $5,000 AND
BY A
MAXIMUM
FINE
OF
M.K. CHEUNG, THE DEPARTMENT'S SENIOR CONSERVATION OFFICER, MR
THE ENDANGERED SPECIES SAID THAT DESPITE THE GENERAL IMPROVEMENT IN
CASES INVOLVING PROTECTION SCENE IN HONG KONG, THE RECENT UPSURGE OF SLOW LORIS HAD CAUSED THE DEPARTMENT SOME CONCERN.
THE PLANTS
LAST YEAR, THERE WERE 298 PROSECUTION CASES IN BREACH OF IMPORT, EXPORT AND POSSESSION REQUIREMENTS OF THE ANIMALS AND (PROTECTION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES) ORDINANCE. THIS REPRESENTS OF ABOUT 20 PER CENT OVER THE 1987 FIGURE OF 366 CASES.
DEPARTMENT
"IN THE LAST SIX WEEKS, THE INVOLVING 10 SLOW LORIS," MR CHEUNG SAID.
A DROP
DISCOVERED
SIX CASES
"FIVE
OF
WERE
INTERCEPTED BY THE DEPARTMENT AT THE
CONFISCATED AS
THEM
ILLEGAL
IMPORTED ILLEGALLY
POSSESSIONS
FROM BORDER CHECKPOINT. WHILE
THE REMAINING
CHINA THREE TWO
AND WERE
WERE
+
STRAYS HANDED OVER TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR CUSTODY.
HE SAID THE NUMBER OF SUCH CASES DISCOVERED WITHIN SUCH A SHORT HAVE BROUGHT THESE PERIOD OF TIME INDICATED THAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT PROTECTED ANIMALS INTO HONG KONG EITHER KNOWINGLY OR UNKOWINGLY.
IS STEPPING "THE DEPARTMENT TAKES SUCH OFFENCES SERIOUSLY AND
TRAVELLERS UP CONTROL MEASURES AT ALL CUSTOMS CHECKPOINTS TO CHECK ON
SHOPS AND MARKET PLACES WHILE STRENGTHENING INSPECTIONS OF PET THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY, MR CHEUNG SAID.
++
то
DEPARTMENT'S
HE URGED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO CO-OPERATE BY ILLEGAL
THE ACTIVITIES
FAUNA SUCH SECTION AT 3-7332124.
REPORTING ANY
CONSERVATION
ORIGINATED IN
SLOW LORIS BELONGS TO THE PRIMATE FAMILY AND IS SOUTHEAST ASIAN COUNTRIES AND SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST CHINA.
ITS BODY LENGTH RANGES FROM 26.5 CENTIMETRES TO 38 CENTIMETRES. IT WEIGHTS BETWEEN 1 KILOGRAMME AND 1.6 KILOGRAMMES .
/GREY OR