Man sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment for smuggling dried seahorses
A 69-year-old Indonesian man, who smuggled dried seahorses into Hong Kong, was convicted at the District Court today (July 29) for violating the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) and sentenced to10 months'imprisonment.
A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said that the male passenger arrived at Hong Kong International Airport from Bangkok, Thailand, on September 16 last year. Upon inspection of the man's luggage by Customs officers, a batch of suspected controlled dried seahorses was found concealed among food items in an attempt to evade detection. AFCD officers attended the scene, examined the specimens and confirmed that they were controlled dried seahorses, weighing a total of 6.18 kilograms, with an estimated market value of about $150,000. The man was prosecuted by the AFCD for illegal import of specimens of endangered species. He was convicted at the District Court today, and the court adopted a starting point of 15 months' imprisonment for sentencing. With a one-third reduction given for his guilty plea, the defendant was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment.
Seahorses are listed in Appendix II to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and are regulated under the Ordinance in Hong Kong. Any person who imports, exports or possesses specimens of endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 yearswith the specimens forfeited.
The spokesman said, "The Government is committed to protecting endangered species. The AFCD and Hong Kong Customs will remain vigilant and continue to monitor and combat illegal activities involving endangered species."
Members of the public may call 1823 to report any suspected irregularities to the AFCD and visit the AFCD website at www.cites.hk for information on the control of endangered species in Hong Kong.
A 69-year-old Indonesian man, who smuggled dried seahorses into Hong Kong, was convicted at the District Court today (July 29) for violating the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) and sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment. Photo shows the dried seahorses found in the man's luggage. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Research Grants Council announces funding results of Areas of Excellence Scheme and Theme-based Research Scheme 2026/27
The following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:
The Research Grants Council (RGC) announced today (July 29) the funding results of the Areas of Excellence (AoE) Scheme 2026/27 (14th Round) and the Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) 2026/27 (16th Round), with a record-breaking total of 12 supported projects. Altogether, they received a total funding amount of around $478 million.
Four projects under the AoE Scheme received funding from the RGC totalling $158 million, representing an increase of nearly 10 per cent compared to that of last year. Following a rigorous peer-review process based on academic and scientific merits, the RGC will support three outstanding five-year projects in medical imaging technology, smart manufacturing, and neutron scattering, as well as a one-year exploratory project on sustainable wildlife trade to yield preliminary results.
Concurrently, the RGC allocated $320 million to fund eight TRS projects of strategic importance to Hong Kong's long-term development, comprising seven five-year research proposals and a one-year exploratory project. These initiatives cover the fields of healthcare, green technology and AI. The lists of the awarded projects are set out in Annexes I and II.
The Chairman of the RGC, Professor Timothy W. Tong, said, "While maintaining an overall stable budget, the RGC has successfully extended its support for more basic research projects that are conducive to Hong Kong's long-term development this year. These projects are not merely academic pursuits, but also serve as the engines to drive Hong Kong's future economic transformation, addressing critical societal needs in such sectors as medical imaging technology, sustainable energy, disaster prevention, and business risk management.
"This year's successful proposals fully demonstrate the RGC's proactive approach to aligning with national development strategies, particularly its strong emphasis on AI, smart manufacturing, and advanced materials. These initiatives also contribute to Hong Kong's strategy of driving new industrialisation and fostering tech-driven economic development. With over one-third of this year's selected proposals involving AI applications, it is clear that our researchers have a remarkable ability to transform cutting-edge academic research into practical industry solutions.
"By fostering a dynamic basic research ecosystem in Hong Kong and leveraging the unique strengths of our universities to drive transformative, world-class research, the RGC remains dedicated to consolidating Hong Kong's leading position in global higher education and technological innovation," said Professor Tong.
To ensure that the city's scholarly researches remain closely aligned with national priorities and government policies, the RGC has also introduced "Low Altitude, Aerospace, and Space Technologies" as a new grand challenge topic under the TRS starting from the 2027/28 (17th Round) funding exercise which commenced in mid-July 2026.
Professor Tong expressed his profound gratitude to the panel experts for their valuable contributions throughout the assessment process, as well as local researchers for their continued support for the AoE Scheme, the TRS, and the RGC's work.
Details of the approved projects for the 2026/27 exercise are available on the RGC website (AoE Scheme: www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/aoe/funded_research/aoe14.html and TRS: www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/trs/funded_research/trs16.html) for reference. A call for proposals for the AoE Scheme and the TRS 2027/28 has been issued on July 24.
The Research Grants Council (RGC) announced today (July 29) the funding results of the Areas of Excellence Scheme 2026/27 (14th Round) and the Theme-based Research Scheme 2026/27 (16th Round). Photo shows the Chairman of the RGC, Professor Timothy W. Tong (front row, seventh right); the Secretary-General of the University Grants Committee, Professor James Tang (front row, seventh left); and representatives of the funded project teams. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Research Grants Council (RGC) announced today (July 29) the funding results of the Areas of Excellence Scheme 2026/27 (14th Round) and the Theme-based Research Scheme 2026/27 (16th Round). Photo shows the Chairman of the RGC, Professor Timothy W. Tong, delivering the opening remarks at the press conference. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
