Hong Kong Customs seizes live arowanas and river stingrays of suspected scheduled endangered species
Hong Kong Customs today (December 26) seized a total of four suspected scheduled endangered live arowanas and river stingrays with an estimated market value of about $52,000 at Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point.
Customs officers intercepted an incoming 52-year-old female passenger at the arrival hall of the said control point today. Upon examination, two suspected live arowanas and two suspected live river stingray were found inside a rucksack carried by the female, and they were contained in plastic bags. Officers of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) attended the scene for inspection and confirmed that the batch of fishes was of an endangered species listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and regulated under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (the Ordinance) in Hong Kong. The case was handed over to the AFCD for follow-up investigation.
Customs reminds the public not to carry endangered species without the required licence into and out of Hong Kong.
According to the Ordinance, any person importing, exporting or possessing specimens of endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance commits an offence and will be liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years upon conviction with the specimens forfeited.
Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Hong Kong Customs seizes live arowanas and river stingrays of suspected scheduled endangered species Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong Customs seizes live arowanas and river stingrays of suspected scheduled endangered species Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong Customs seizes live arowanas and river stingrays of suspected scheduled endangered species Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Government announces updates on follow-up work on Tai Po fire
The Government has been making full efforts to follow up on the support, relief and investigation work related to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. The Independent Committee in relation to the fire has commenced work to examine the causes and circumstances that led to the fire and its rapid spread, construction safety and related issues concerning building maintenance and renovation works, as well as the systemic problems related to the tendering process of large-scale building maintenance and renovation works. The Government will proactively facilitate the investigation work.
Moreover, the three task forces set up by the Government for the fire - the Task Force on Investigation and Regulation, the Task Force on Emergency Support and Fund-Raising, and the Task Force on Emergency Accommodation Arrangements - have been following up on the relevant work. Details are as follows:
Financial and welfare support
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Different sectors of the Hong Kong community have participated in relief support and donations, contributing essential resources and morale for post-disaster reconstruction and social recovery. As of noon today (December 26), the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, established by the Government, has received about $3.8 billion in donations. Together with the start-up capital of $300 million from the Government, the fund's total has now reached around $4.1 billion. The fund will be used to assist residents in rebuilding their homes and providing long-term and sustained support.
The fund launched 11 projects with a total commitment of about $1.2 billion, providing emergency financial support to various groups of people affected by the fire, including all residents, families of the deceased, hospitalised casualties, students, foreign domestic helpers, workers, flat owners, and tenants.
The Government provides a $100,000 living allowance from the Support Fund to each affected household, while families of each deceased victim are provided with a token of solidarity of $200,000, as well as $50,000 to cover funeral costs. All verified cases have been processed so far. In addition, the Government earlier announced three new measures, providing flat owners at Wang Fuk Court with a grant of $100,000; an annual rental grant of $150,000 (to be provided for two years) and a one-off relocation grant of $50,000; as well as a one-off relocation grant of $50,000 for affected tenants. The allowances will be disbursed in phases.
Social workers from the Social Welfare Department (SWD) have been in contact with more than 1 980 affected households, and more than 4 900 residents have been registered for the "one social worker per household" follow-up service. The SWD will maintain liaison with the affected households to provide all necessary assistance while fully supporting the relief work of the Government.
Accommodation support
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Currently, there is still a supply of more than 1 000 units that can provide affected residents with longer-term accommodation. The transitional housing and the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) projects in different districts can altogether provide around 500 units at the moment. Moreover, Po Tin Interim Housing in Tuen Mun and Runway 1331 at Kai Tak can provide a supply of around 900 units.
As of this morning, a total of 494 residents are staying in hotel rooms through the co-ordination of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, and 549 residents are staying in youth hostels/camps. Another 3 591 residents are currently living in transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau, units from the HKHS, or Po Tin Interim Housing in Tuen Mun.
The Transport Department (TD) has been steering public transport operators (PTOs) to strengthen services of franchised buses, green minibuses, and residents' services by deploying additional vehicles and manpower to support residents affected who have been admitted into transitional housing in various districts, facilitating transfers to other services to and from different districts. The TD will closely co-ordinate with operating organisations of transitional housing projects concerned and PTOs to cater for residents' commuting needs.
Relief supplies and donations
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The supplies donation online platform, established by the Government and the information technology sector, continues to operate, facilitating the registration of supplies donations from organisations and the public. The Government has so far received over 2 000 registrations, of which approximately 30 per cent were submitted by organisations, whereas the others were contributed by the public. The various registered donation items include food and beverages, clothing, daily necessities, bedding, and electrical appliances. The Government is actively assessing residents' actual needs through the relevant policy bureau, government departments, and service organisations for the matching of donated supplies in order to distribute appropriate items in phases to places in need. So far, over 51 000 donation items covering various categories have been distributed to different places. The matching and distribution of supplies will continue.
Investigation and regulation
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Relevant policy bureaux and departments continue to follow up on the fire investigation and regulatory efforts.
Follow-up work
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Relevant policy bureaux and departments will continue to follow up on the support and relief work regarding the fire, including providing assistance in finance and welfare, accommodation and supplies, as well as medical, financial and legal support services for affected residents. Enforcement agencies and the Inter-departmental Fire Investigation Task Force are making every effort to pursuethe investigation work related to the fire.
The Government will continue to disseminate the latest information through the Government's thematic website on Support Services for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po and various other channels.
Source: AI-found images
