Law on feeding wild animals must be clear
- Steps are needed to prevent people feeding wild animals. But the proposed law needs to be proportionate and clear so that people are not unwittingly caught by the legislation
Feeding the birds might seem an innocent activity, often enjoyed by children. But those who do so may soon be hit with a HK$5,000 (US$640) fixed penalty if proposed legal amendments proceed.
The government is seeking to increase fines for people who feed wild animals because of concerns the practice has fuelled an increase in sightings of boars in urban areas and injuries suffered by people who come into contact with them.
There are plans, being considered by the legislature, to include feral pigeons in the definition of wild animal. The pigeons, descended from domestic birds, do not currently fall within the scope of the ban.
The new fixed penalty would be accompanied by sharp increases in the maximum penalty for feeding wild animals, such as boars, monkeys and wild birds. A fine of up to HK$100,000 is proposed and a jail term of up to a year.
Steps are needed to prevent people feeding wild animals. But the law must be clear and proportionate. The plans have led to fears that people would unwittingly be caught by the legislation.
The proposed fines seem high when compared to the current fixed penalty for failing to clear up dog mess, for example, which is only HK$1,500.
Efforts are also needed to educate the public about the problems caused by feeding wild animals. Some people put out food for wild boars. This attracts them to urban areas.
The government has been killing boars seen as causing a nuisance since November 2021. One a day has, on average, been killed this year.
This is not the best way of tackling the problem and appears to have had limited, if any, impact on sightings. But people should understand that so long as that policy is in place, they are endangering the boars by feeding them. Measures are also needed to prevent boars from feeding from bins.
The sightings of wild boars and injuries caused by them increased sharply in 2021, prompting a citywide ban on feeding. The position must not be allowed to get out of control.
Efforts to curb the feeding of wild animals are needed, but so are other policies aimed at preserving their natural habitat so they are less likely to stray into urban areas.
