The Secretary for the Environment and Ecology, Tse Chin-wan, responded today (Jan. 15) to a written inquiry from Legislative Council member Ho Chun-yin regarding the ongoing wild boar nuisance issue in Hong Kong. Tse reported that the problem has gradually improved in recent years.
According to the latest statistics from the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department (AFCD), the overall wild boar population has decreased from approximately 1,830 in 2022 to around 900 in 2024. The number of nuisance hotspots for wild boars has dropped to 15 in 2024, a significant reduction of about 64% from 42 in 2022. Additionally, incidents of wild boar-related injuries fell to 7 in 2024, down approximately 80% from 36 in 2022. Tse emphasized that the department is conducting a comprehensive review of current wild boar management strategies and measures, having commissioned wildlife management experts to assist in developing an optimization plan and targeted management strategies for the disturbances caused by wild boars in rural areas.
Last year, the government expanded regulations prohibiting the feeding of wildlife to include feral pigeons, increasing penalties to a maximum fine of HK$100,000 and up to one year of imprisonment. A fixed penalty of HK$5,000 was also introduced to combat illegal feeding practices. Tse noted that since the regulations took effect four months ago, 1,368 reports have been received, leading to the issuance of 78 fixed penalty notices. The government plans to assess the effectiveness of enforcement by monitoring the populations of wild animals and feral pigeons and analyzing related complaint data.
When asked about the enforcement team, Tse explained that the expanded regulations now include personnel from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, and the Housing Department, in addition to existing AFCD and police officers. Currently, there are about 870 frontline enforcement personnel involved in the feeding prohibition efforts, with no outsourced staff participating. From August to December 2024, there were a total of 2,380 inspections conducted in response to reports of feeding wild animals and feral pigeons, with 18 instances of joint enforcement operations.
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