XN000022-1989-04-21 — Page 14

FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 1989

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THE ADVICE FOLLOWED A COURT CASE AT THE SHA ΤΙΝ MAGISTRACY YESTERDAY IN WHICH A MAN WAS FINED $3,000 FOR POSSESSING 6,697 WILD CHINESE SLIPPER ORCHIDS WITHOUT A VALID LICENCE ISSUED UNDER THE LAW.

IN ADDITION, ALL WILD ORCHIDS IN HIS POSSESSION WERE CONFISCATED. THE LOCAL MARKET VALUE OF THESE RARE PLANTS WAS ESTIMATED AT ABOUT $66,000 BUT THEY WOULD FETCH AS MUCH AS $343,000 IF SOLD OVERSEAS.

THE CASE WAS UNCOVERED IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR UPON NOTIFICATION BY ULRICH CITES (CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA} MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY IN FRANKFURT THAT WILD CHINESE ORCHIDS SUPPLIED BY A HONG KONG TRADER WERE BEING OFFERED FOR SALE THROUGH ADVERTISEMENTS IN WEST GERMANY.

CHINA, AS A ORCHIDS FOR

MR CHEUNG SAID: "AS THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF SIGNATORY OF CITES, HAS PROHIBITED THE EXPORT OF WILD TRADE PURPOSE WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTATION, WE HAD REASON то BELIEVE THAT THESE PLANTS MUST HAVE COME FROM ILLEGAL SOURCES.

"INVESTIGATION INTO THE CASE SUBSEQUENTLY LED TO THE PROSECUTION OF A MAN AND THE SEIZURE OF 6,697 WILD CHINESE ORCHIDS WHICH WERE IDENTIFIED BY AN EXPERIENCED HORTICULTURIST AS RARE SPECIES OF THE ORCHIDACEAE FAMILY."

COMMENTING ON THE COURT CASE, THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF CITES MR EUGENE LAPOINTE, WHO IS CURRENTLY IN HONG KONG FOR A BRIEF VISIT, SAID: "THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE AND THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE WE EVER HAD IN COUNTERING THE ILLEGAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED WILD PLANTS.

"THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG IS TO BE CONGRATULATED FOR THE EFFORTS IT MADE IN THIS DIRECTION.

H

ROADS AND SEWERAGE SYSTEM FOR TIN SHUI WAI

PUBLIC

TENDERS ARE BEING INVITED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADWAYS AND ASSOCIATED DRAINS AND SEWERS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TIN SHUI WAI NEW TOWN,

THE TIN SHUI WAI/YUEN LONG DEVELOPMENT OFFICE OF THE TERRITORY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS INVITING TENDERS FOR BUILDING ABOUT FOUR KILOMETRES OF ROADS ALONG WITH THE SEWERAGE NETWORK UNDERNEATH.

TIN YIU

THESE WILL SURROUND TWO PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES ESTATE AND TIN SHUI ESTATE

AND THE AREA'S FIRST TWO PRIVATE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.

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WORK ON THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO START IN JULY THIS YEAR AND SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION IN MID-1992.

THE CONTRACT ALSO CALLS FOR THE FORMATION OF PART OF THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT RESERVE FOR THE FIRST PHASE OF THE TIN SHUI WAI ROUTE.

/THE RESERVE