FW: (CN- HKG) Complaint Against the Wild Boar Hunting on Mar 8

[Guest guest]

Can anyone help Mr Lieu to compose a good reply to this Hong Kong Government

statement below? It was in response to Mr Lieu's complaint of trigger happy

civilians with guns walking around the hills. We don't believe there has

ever been recorded a case of a human being injured by a wild pig in Hong

Kong.

John.

 

Laurence Lieu

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 6:29 PM

John Wedderburn

Complaint Against the Wild Boar Hunting on Mar 8

 

Bullsh*t!!! pls read the text below...

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------

ct_shek

Apr 20, 2010 4:47 PM

Re: Compliant Against the Wild Boar Hunting on Mar 8

Laurence Lieu

 

Dear Mr. Lieu,

 

 

Thank you for your email dated 27.3.2010.

 

Due to the lack of natural predators and hunting pressure, the population of

wild pigs in Hong Kong proliferates in an uncontrolled manner which resulted

in an increasing potential hazard to villagers and the public. Wild pigs are

frequently found searching for food at agriculture fields causing damage to

crops or gardens. Sometimes they encroached on the urban fringe areas ended

up with close encounters with human causing nuisance and posing immediate

danger to the public. Their aggressive behaviours shown when provoked or

threatened pose potential threats to life and property. Considering the

potential threats of a wild pig which may weigh up to 250kg, many overseas

countries including the United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, the United

States, Japan and Indonesia, regard the wild pigs as an animal pest. In all

these overseas cases, hunting or controlled shooting is widely deployed to

control wild pig populations and nuisance caused. In the United States, more

drastic action as total eradication of wild pigs was considered as the

management goal of certain island habitats such as Santiago Island.

 

In handling wild pigs complaints, we are conscious that wild pigs seen in

the wild, if not causing nuisance or hazard to human, should be left

undisturbed. In general, when a complaint related to wild pigs is received,

this department will conduct site investigation and advise the complainants

to take preventive measures as far as practicable, such as erection of fence

to protect crops or use of bright lightings to deter the wild pig. Among the

383 wild pigs nuisance complaints received last year, about 70% of the cases

were handled without the need to carry out hunting exercise. However, if

preventive measures are not applicable and the wild pigs are posing threats

to properties and human safety, hunting exercise would then warrant as a

measure to control the nuisance and to duly address the potential threats to

the public.

 

Regarding the hunting operation at Sheung Keng Hau Village and Ha Keng Hau

Village, five complaints related to wild pigs nuisance have been received by

this department from January to February this year. Site investigation

revealed that the wild pigs frequently appeared in the concerned villages

and persistent damages on the turf and fruit trees were also reported. In

view of the vast areas concerned, preventive measures such as erection of

fencing was not applicable and hunting operation was arranged in order to

duly address the threat to the villagers.

 

All the members of the hunting teams are required to obtain an arms licence

issued by the Hong Kong Police before they are allowed to participate in the

wild pig hunting. No hunting shall take place on Saturdays, Sundays and

Public Holidays. When the date and time of hunting operation is confirmed by

the hunting teams, this department will inform the Hong Kong Police as well

as the concerned District Office so that they would notify nearby villagers

of the hunting exercise. The hunting team leaders are also required to

submit a hunting application to the relevant district office of the Hong

Kong Police for approval before each hunting. The operation at Sheung Keng

Hau Village and Ha Keng Hau Village followed all these requirements.

 

During hunting operation, the use of baits for hunting is sometimes

practiced to attract the wild pigs to stay in a controlled area where it is

safe for conducting the hunting operation, similar practice is also deployed

in Europe.

 

Since 2002, this department has conducted a territory-wide camera trap

survey on the distribution of wild pigs. The result showed that wild pigs

are widely distributed in habitats such as forests, grasslands and farm

areas in the New Territories. We will further refine the survey methodology

to collect more scientific information for better management of wild pigs.

 

As regards the contraceptive method used in local wild pigs in Texas, these

were in fact research studies using baits to deliver fertility control

agents to wild pigs with a view to controlling their population. However,

the majority of the baits distributed had been taken by non-target species

and therefore, the studies had concluded that this approach was unsuitable

for controlling the wild boar population. So far, there is no effective

contraceptive method applicable to control the population of wild pigs.

 

Thank you again for your concerns on wild pigs.

 

 

 

Yours faithfully,

 

CT Shek

Wetland and Fauna Conservation Officer

Tel. 2150 6921

AFCD