4
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We have consulted the Motor Traders Association of Hong Kong on the proposals as contained in the Bill. The Association supports these proposals.
Mr President, with these remarks, I commend the Bill to Members.
End
Second reading of Wild Animals Protection (A) Bill 1996
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Bowen Leung, in moving the second reading of the Wild Animals Protection (Amendment) Bill 1996 in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Mr President,
I move that the Wild Animals Protection (Amendment) Bill 1996 be read the second time.
One of the main purposes of the Bill is to make the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance consistent with the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance. Under the existing legislation, a person suspected to be guilty of an offence under section 8 or 9 is required to prove that the protected wild animal or the eggs of the protected wild animal he possessed is not taken or killed in Hong Kong. The Bill proposes that this be replaced by presumption provisions which are only to operate in two sets of specified circumstances, outside which the prosecution would need to prove all elements of the relevant offence. The first is when the suspect is caught with the protected wild animal or the eggs of a protected wild animal in a nature area. The second is when the suspect is caught with the same for commercial purposes.
The Bill also introduces necessary provisions to facilitate enforcement of measures for the better protection of wild animals. First, the Bill seeks to prohibit the feeding of wild animals in specified places. The new provision is needed, for example, a monkey habitat where there have been numerous reports of monkey nuisances and some incidents of attacks by monkeys. It has been found that feeding by humans is an important factor leading to such nuisances and attacks. By restricting the areas where feeding is allowed, we believe there would be fewer cases of nuisance and attack, and the likelihood of transfer of diseases from human beings to monkeys and vice versa would be minimised.