XN000022-1980-02-14 — Page 7

6

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1980

BAN ON IMPORTING ANIMALS OR THEIR SPECIMENS OF ENDANGERED SPECIES ******

RESIDENTS RETURNING TO HONG KONG FROM OVERSEAS AND CHINA ARE REMINDED NOT TO BRING BACK SOUVENIRS OF LIVE OR PRESERVED ANIMAL SPECIMENS LISTED UNDER THE ANIMALS AND PLANTS (PROTECTION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES) ORDINANCE.

THE WARNING WAS ISSUED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT WHICH NOTED THERE HAD BEEN MANY CASES RECENTLY WHERE RESIDENTS RETURNING FROM ABROAD HAD BROUGHT BACK WITH THEM SOUVENIRS SUCH AS STUFFED SEA TURTLES, CROCODILES, TIGER AND LEOPARD SKINS, AND LIVE PANGOLIN. ALL OF THESE ANIMALS AND SOME RARE PLANTS SUCH AS WILD ORCHIDS, CACTUS AND WILD AMERICAN GINSENG ARE PROTECTED BY LAW.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID IT WAS ILLEGAL FOR ANYONE TO IMPORT OR BE IN POSSESSION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES WITHOUT A LICENCE ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT.

HE ADDED THAT DURING THE PAST SIX MONTHS THERE HAD BEEN ABOUT 120 CASES OF THIS TYPE, MOST OF WHICH INVOLVED STUFFED SEA TURTLES BROUGHT IN FROM INDONESIA, THE PHILIPPINES, TAIWAN AND OTHER SOUTHEAST ASIAN COUNTRIES.

+ANY OF THESE ARTICLES BROUGHT IN WITHOUT A LICENCE WILL BE SEIZED BY ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS FROM THE DEPARTMENT AND THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE AND THE OFFENDERS PROSECUTED.

+ THE MAXIMUM FINE FOR A FIRST OFFENCE UNDER THE ORDINANCE IS $5 000 AND THE SEIZED SPECIMENS ARE FORFEITED TO THE CROWN, HE SAID.

TWO MORE NT MAXICAB ROUTES

****

TWO NEW MAXI CAB ROUTES WILL BE INTRODUCED IN TSUEN WAN ON SUNDAY (FEBRUARY 17) BRINGING THE NUMBER OF MAXI CAB ROUTES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES TO SIX.

THE NEW ROUTES ARE NO 85 FROM SAN TSUEN (FU YUNG SHAN) TO TSUEN WAN (YAN CHAI STREET) AND NO 86 FROM SHEK LEI (SHEK PAI STREET) TO TSUEN WAN (YAN CHAI STREET).

A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE FARE FOR ROUTE 85 IS 50 CENTS WHILE THE FARE FOR ROUTE 86 IS $1 WITH A SECTIONAL FARE OF 50 CENTS. THE BASIC FREQUENCY FOR BOTH ROUTES IS SIX MINUTES.

WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE TWO NEW MAXI CAB ROUTES IN THE FU YUNG SHAN AND SHEK LEI AREAS, THE FOLLOWING STREETS AND ROADS WILL BE DESIGNATED PUBLIC LIGHT BUS PROHIBITED ZONES FROM FEBRUARY 17.

THEY ARE