Press Release
Exemption Orders under Protection of Endangered Species of Animal and Plants Ordinance
The Government will introduce into the Legislative Council on May 24 two orders to provide exemptions from licensing requirements for certain endangered species under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance.
A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department said today (May 17) that the exemptions orders were part and parcel of the control mechanisms set out in the article, resolutions, decisions or notifications of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The exemption orders, to be gazetted this Friday (May 19), are required to replace the existing Animals and Plants (Protection of Endangered Species) (Exemption) Order. The exemptions provided in the two orders are in line with the control regime of the CITES.
He said that the new orders would also remove certain inconsistent treatments in the existing order which were not justified on operational ground and to update the exemption requirements based on the decisions made by the Conference of the Parties to CITES.
CITES aims to regulate international trade in endangered species to protect wildlife from over exploitation or extinction and imposes different export and import controls over endangered species listed in its Appendices.
The Animals and Plants (Protection of Endangered Species) Ordinance (Cap 187) was enacted in 1976 to give effect to CITES in Hong Kong. The Administration introduced the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Bill to align Hong Kong's control regime with CITES and to streamline the licensing requirements. The Bill was passed into law by the Legislative Council on 1 March 2006. When the new ordinance comes into operation, it will replace Cap187 to give effect to CITES in the territory.
Ends/Wednesday, May 17, 2006
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