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Also, the much heavier fines and prison sentences handed down for contraventions of the related legislation had indicated that the Judiciary recognised the increased concern in the community over illegal trade in endangered species and was prepared to punish offenders severely, he said.
Mr Ip pointed out that the third point was that Hong Kong had embarked on a comprehensive programme of public education on the need to protect all endangered species. The main objective is to change public attitude towards consumption of endangered species and increase public awareness of the relevant legislation.
Fourthly, Hong Kong was committed in improving enforcement through better training of enforcement officers, both in the territory and overseas, Mr Ip added.
CITES Secretariat's Enforcement and Training Co-ordinator, Mr J P Le Duc pointed out that it was very grateful to the authorities of Hong Kong to have made possible this training seminar for enforcement officers of the south-east Asian region.
"Co-operation between CITES Management Authorities and enforcement agencies, particularly customs and police, is crucial to achieve better enforcement of the convention and to prevent the illegal trade in wildlife from threatening the survival of species of animals and plants," Mr Le Duc added.
End
Don't attach retrieving line to towing line
The Marine Department advises owners, operators and masters of towing vessels not to attach a retrieving line to a towing line because this practice is unsafe.
A spokesman for the Marine Department said today (Monday) that it was difficult to pay out the towing line and the retrieving line simultaneously in a safe
manner.
He added that the chances of the retrieving line getting entangled with the vessel's fixtures leading to accidents were very high.
A recent investigation of a fatal injury to a crew member of a tug revealed that the death was caused by the backlash of a retrieving line which parted.
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