XN000022-1989-01-17 — Page 13

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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