FW:(CN/HK)Buddhists Set Animals Free

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Buddhists Set Animals Free

 

The New York Times

Sunday, June 30, 2002

 

Hong Kong (AP) - Chanting and cheering, hundreds of

Buddhists sent the fish on a swim for freedom, putting

them onto a pair of stainless steel slides that

dropped off the side of a ferry into the South China

Sea.

 

Followers of Buddhism are duty-bound to save any

trapped animal -- and the Chinese have adopted the

practice and made a tradition of buying, then freeing

fish, birds and turtles in the belief it can bring

good fortune.

 

Despite the good intentions of everybody on the ferry,

and thousands of fish going down the slides, not many

got very far. Some stopped flipping almost

immediately, and for those that started swimming,

fishermen were waiting nearby, nets in place.

 

As far as environmentalists are concerned, the fish

that do get away are a potential problem.

 

Their ceremonial release creates ecological hazards,

according to conservationists who say the nature

lovers are effectively killing the animals with

misplaced kindness.

 

''They don't know about the animals, they don't know

about the environment, so they are playing with

variables that just aren't understood,'' said Paul

Crow, a zoologist at the Kadoorie Farm & Botanic

Garden research institute here.

 

The animals can spread disease and parasites picked up

in captivity, and some threaten biodiversity as alien

species are thrust into new habitats.

 

Some end up where they can't survive.

 

Freshwater turtles have been seen scrambling toward

the seashore for safety after benevolent souls

mistakenly thought they came from the sea, said So

Ping-man, a senior conservation officer at the

Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

The salt water blinds and kills them.

 

Freshwater fish dropped into the sea are similarly

doomed.

 

Many local religious leaders shrug off the criticism,

saying they know how to frequently and safely release

animals that will thrive in nature.

 

''We seldom come across animals that are unfit for the

environment since such creatures either can't be

imported or they die once they've arrived here,'' said

the Venerable Kok Kwong, president of the Hong Kong

Buddhist Association.

 

''Birds that can fly are basically healthy,'' said Lai

Chuk-kwong, a construction site foreman and Buddhist

temple member. ''Those who say releasing birds can

cause illness are worrying too much.''

 

Many claim their lives improve after freeing the

animals.

 

''My son got healthier,'' said 37-year-old housewife

Winnie Kwan, who brought 5-year-old Ian to help slide

red snappers, star snappers and groupers into the sea.

 

 

The Buddhists say birds and fish can find their way

home, even as far away as Indonesia, Malaysia,

northern China and South America.

 

Conservationists doubt it, although they acknowledge

it's hard to quantify any environmental damage. No

specific studies have been done, So said.

 

But invasive North American turtles and bullfrogs have

become established here and now defeat indigenous

species for food and space, the World Wide Fund For

Nature said.

 

Some Chinese celebrate birthdays by freeing one

goldfish or songbird for every year they've lived.

 

Fishmonger Lee Ngan-ngor, 50, always lets carp off the

hook, because its Chinese name is pronounced the same

as her surname.

 

Buddhist Nancy Lee says there's no problem in

releasing birds.

 

''I do it whenever and wherever I wish to,'' Lee said

after picking up a cage of six sparrows from a local

bird market, apparently without realizing two were

already dead.

 

Sparrows are plentiful around Hong Kong and no one

keeps them as pets. So dealers capture them just to

sell them to people who want to release them.

 

Just about every bird market stall has a sign touting

the cheapest option for release -- a sparrow or a

white-backed munia costing five Hong Kong dollars (64

U.S. cents).

 

But many die being captured or transported, or in the

crowded local bird markets, said Ng Cho-nam, president

of The Conservancy Association.

 

Bird store owner Johnny Wong acknowledged sparrows,

Japanese white-eyes and white-backed munias are

recaptured by traders soon after their release, then

sold again at a discount.

 

Some customers go all out, freeing magpie robins and

foreign cockatoos costing more than $1,280 each.

 

The recent Buddhist boat outing netted $3,974 for

businessman Cheng Sui-sing, who supplied the fish.

 

But environmentalists contend Hong Kong should

establish rules -- there are now none -- to bring the

animal releasers under control.

 

The government conservation officer, So, said any

workable regulations would be tricky to write and hard

to enforce. Officials call informal communication of

sound guidelines the better approach.

 

Zoologist Crow disagrees.

 

''They've always done it, so they always will until

somebody puts a foot down,'' Crow said. ''In most

first world countries, they've learned from experience

and serious problems that you cannot afford to allow

the public just to go dumping animals into the wild.''

 

Source -

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-EXP-Freeing-

Animals.html

 

 

 

 

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