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"The amendment is needed as there have been numerous reports of monkey nuisances and some incidents of attacks.
"A study sponsored by the World Wide Fund For Nature Hong Kong in 1992 revealed that feeding by humans is an important factor leading to nuisances and attacks by monkeys in certain areas in Kowloon Hills.
"It also recommended that actions be taken to discourage and ultimately ban people from feeding monkeys," he said.
The spokesman pointed out that the proposed amendment would also increase the maximum penalty to $100,000 fine and one year's imprisonment upon conviction for illegal hunting, trapping and selling of protected wild animals.
The current level of penalties set at the enactment of the Ordinance in 1976 has little deterrent effect for potential offenders.
The proposed legislation would also give the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries additional powers to search and seize evidence and to detain, release or dispose of the animals so seized in order to protect the welfare of the animals.
It will replace an existing burden of proof provision in the ordinance and narrow the presumption to limited circumstances only.
The amendment will also add to the existing ordinance new provisions for appeals. If a person is aggrieved by a decision of the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries in not granting him a permit or cancelling his permit, he can appeal to the Administrative Appeals Board.
End
Gambling licence fees to be revised in December
Licence fees covering lotteries, tombolas, games of amusement with prizes, trade promotion competitions and games in which mahjong or tin kau are used, will be revised from December 13.
Details of the increases were set out in the Gambling (Amendment) Regulation 1996 published in the Gazette today (Friday).
A spokesman for the Home Affairs Branch said it was government policy that fees should in general be set at levels sufficient to recover the full costs of providing the services.