Editorial | Step up patrols to ward off Hong Kong poachers
- Greater monitoring needed after poaching traps found in city countryside, posing a cruel threat to animals and people
- Stiffer fines could work but only if poachers think they will be caught
Hong Kong’s countryside is a joy for hikers but also provides a home for a wide range of wild animals, including protected species. The use of traps by poachers poses a threat to wildlife and, according to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), is on the increase.
The SPCA found 31 traps last year, up from 24 in 2022 and 20 in 2021. This is likely to be the tip of the iceberg.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department says it seized 750 hunting appliances over the past five years, including 137 in 2023.
Poachers are targeting foxes, porcupines and wild boars, but traps are a danger to animals generally and people are occasionally hurt by them. The devices are widely available online and easy to carry around.
They can inflict terrible pain and suffering on the creatures that get caught. Sometimes animals die or need to have a limb amputated, and the victims are often stray dogs.
There is a need to step up efforts to combat this cruel practice. Hunting without a permit is illegal and carries a maximum HK$50,000 (US$6,390) fine.
