Ban on feeding feral pigeons today enforced with verbal warnings in first month
The Government announced amendments to the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance to expand the feeding ban applicable to wild animals to cover feral pigeons as well and introduced a heavier penalty to deter people from violating the law.
The legal amendments are enforced from today (August 1). The maximum penalty for contravening the feeding ban will be increased from a fine of HK$10,000 to a fine of HK$100,000 and imprisonment for one year. Apart from introducing a fixed penalty of HK$5,000, the scope of the Government's enforcement officers will be broadened.
A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department pointed out that to allow sufficient time for the public to understand the new requirements, during the first month after the commencement of the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (August 1 to August 31), law enforcement officers will first give verbal warnings to any person found illegally feeding feral pigeons or wild animals. Enforcement action will be taken if the offenders continue to do so, and starting from September 1, enforcement action will be taken immediately without prior verbal warning.
Feral pigeons are the descendants of domestic pigeons that have returned to the wild. Like wild birds, they can forage on their own in the wild and do not need to be fed. Feeding wild animals and feral pigeons will not only foul public places and attract these animals to gather, causing nuisance and a public hygiene problem, but will also affect the habits of these animals, jeopardizing their ability to survive in the wild.
In addition, food remnants left behind by feeders and animal feces will pose public health problems and may increase the risk of disease transmission. The over-breeding of feral pigeons may lead to ecological imbalance as it triggers species competition.
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