The Wild Animals Protection (Amendment) Ordinance 2024, which took effect on August 1, 2024, extended the territory-wide ban on feeding wild animals to cover feral pigeons. In response to a Legislative Council question today (June 24), Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said that as of May this year, authorities had issued 289 fixed penalty notices for illegal feeding of feral pigeons.
Tse noted that illegal feeding activities and pigeon gatherings have improved since the amendment took effect. Data shows that the overall feral pigeon population at gathering points across Hong Kong has dropped from about 13,500 to about 10,600 in the first quarter of 2026 — a decline of over 20 percent. Over the same period, the number of survey points where food residue from feeding was found fell from 37 to 17, a drop of more than 50 percent.
He pointed out that illegal pigeon feeding is often concealed and takes place at varying times, locations and methods. To enhance enforcement effectiveness, the Government has adopted a multi-pronged strategy, including stepped-up targeted patrols at black spots, strengthened inter-departmental collaboration, greater use of technology for evidence gathering, and public education campaigns to raise awareness of the law. From August 2024, when the amended ordinance took effect, to May 2025, various government departments have issued 289 fixed penalty notices for illegal feeding of feral pigeons.
Tse said the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) is stepping up the use of technology to combat illegal feeding. Since September 2025, the department has been piloting an AI‑powered surveillance system to identify pigeon gatherings and illegal feeding, collecting intelligence to improve enforcement effectiveness. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the department successfully used intelligence gathered by the surveillance system to mount enforcement operations, issuing fixed penalty notices to two individuals for illegal pigeon feeding. In March 2026, the department extended the surveillance system to selected private premises affected by pigeons in the Southern District and Sai Kung District. The department is also piloting AI patrol robots at designated locations. He said the authorities will continue to review the effectiveness of technology in combating illegal feeding and make adjustments or expand the measures as appropriate.
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