(CN-HKG) Kill the Wild Birds

[Guest guest]

South China Morning Post

25th February 2006

Stone the crows, it's OK to kill street birds

MAY CHAN

 

Agriculture chiefs came under fire from birdwatchers and a legislator

yesterday for their " strange " statement encouraging the public to

kill two types of wild bird common in urban areas.

 

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said house

crows and pigeons were not covered by the Wild Animals Protection

Ordinance, and people could therefore kill them.

 

The department was responding to calls from Shamshuipo district

councillors for it to do more to get rid of house crows after a dead

bird carrying the H5 flu virus was found in Lai On Estate on Monday.

 

" We do not oppose people killing house crows or pigeons, "

a department spokesman said.

 

But " they should make sure that they really kill the birds instead of

scattering them to neighbouring areas " , he added.

 

The department gave no advice on killing the birds except saying a

slingshot was not recommended.

 

" It is so strange, " said Lo Wai-yan, of the Hong Kong Bird Watching

Society. " I cannot believe that the department would suggest people

kill house crows themselves. "

 

He said all wild birds were covered by the Wild Animals Protection

Ordinance, and even if the department believed it was lawful for

members of the public to kill wild birds, it should do so itself.

 

" The general public does not have such knowledge. They might harm

themselves in the process and make the control of house crows more

difficult, " he said.

 

Kowloon West legislator Frederick Fung Kin-kee agreed.

 

" Wild birds are vehicles of the deadly virus, " Mr Fung said. " It

should be the responsibility of the Agriculture, Fisheries and

Conservation Department to rid the estate of house crows.

 

" The department has been indecisive over the problem of house crows

in Shamshuipo, and it's high time for it to make a more significant

move. "

 

The department spokesman said it had hunted down and killed 230 house

crows in Hong Kong last year, and had no plans to step up its

measures.

 

The Housing Department said it had begun stepping up measures to

ensure hygiene at public housing estates since Wednesday.

 

Meanwhile, preliminary testing of a house crow found dead in

Shekkipmei has indicated a suspected case of the H5 strain, a

department spokesman said. Further tests are being conducted.