Press Release
Bill to protect endangered species
The Government will introduce the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Bill to the Legislative Council, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department said today (April 13).
The main purpose of the Bill is to ensure that Hong Kong's control regime fully complies with the requirements of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the spokesman noted.
The Bill is to replace the existing Animals and Plants (Protection of Endangered Species) Ordinance, which regulates the import, export or possession of the endangered species by a licensing system.
Under the existing Ordinance, the control over international trade in medicines made from regulated species does not fully meet the CITES requirements. "The new legislation will bring Hong Kong's control regime fully in line with CITES," the spokesman said.
The Government also takes the opportunity to streamline the existing licensing system and simplifies the existing fee structure by reducing the number of fee items from 14 to 9.
"Most of the existing and potential licence holders will be paying less under the streamlined licensing system," the spokesman said.
The Bill, to be published in the Gazette on Friday (April 15), will be introduced into the Legislative Council on April 27.
Ends/Wednesday, April 13, 2005
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