Feeding Pigeons in HK Could be Fined HK$100K

Feeding pigeons could soon become illegal and HK$100K fine

Hong Kong seems to be becoming more legalist by the day, as residents may be fined up to HK$100,000 (US$12,750) and one year in jail for feeding wild animals, including pigeons.

It is a proposal submitted to the Legislative Council by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department in a bid to stop people from feeding these animals. The proposed fine amount is 10 times what it is now. 

For comparison sake, a dog owner not picking up his or her canine's feces is HK$1,500.

Wild boars dig through human garbage for food

Needless to say animal activists and public policy experts say the move is out of proportion and question if this kind of punishment will be effective.

AFCD says residents feeding pigeons "constitute a public health issue".

"Feeding feral pigeons will inevitably attract other wild animals... to eat the food given by the feeders," a spokesman said, citing species such as spotted doves, tree sparrows, monkeys and wild boars.

But Benson Wong Wai-kwok, a retired assistant political science professor at Baptist University specialising in comparative public administration, said such a heavy penalty for a relatively light wrongdoing was a "disproportional move".

"Instead of addressing the problem, this policy may probably yield nothing but seed fear among residents," he warned.

There is a valid concern about feeding wild boars, but in the time that I had encounters with these creatures, no one fed them. 

Nevertheless, surely if this whopping fine does become law, it will be reported internationally for sure -- "Feed the pigeons in Hong Kong and get fined over US$12K!"

Is that a happy Hong Kong story?

Chan budgets extra HK$5B for national security

Or how about the fact that the Hong Kong government has budgeted an additional HK$5 billion for national security. 

During his 2021 budget speech, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po had allocated HK$8 billion and told reporters after it would be "enough to last for the next few years".

That amount was to to be used for "minor construction works, specialised equipment, system set-up, machinery" or other capital expenditure.

Imagine if the HK$5 billion was focused on housing homeless people, or giving men living in cages a decent place to live. What about those people in those subdivided flats? 

It's another priority Beijing has told Hong Kong to work on, or has housing these people taken a back seat?

Meanwhile those container flats at Penny's Bay are still empty and unused...

Recycling was never Hong Kong's strong suit.

Hong Kong Finally Goes Maskless

Some people continued wearing masks out of caution today

After some 950 days, the mask mandate was FINALLY lifted in Hong Kong much to the delight of the residents who have endured wearing face coverings in over 30-degree weather, while exercising, while at weddings, funerals, amusement parks.

And dealing with the fear or harassment of the police gleefully handing out HK$5,000 fines to people who weren't wearing them properly or were caught smoking.

But in reality many today still wore a mask going to work or school, unable to shake the routine, or still wanted to err on the side of caution.

Why not get rid of masks with campaign launch?

The fact that Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu suddenly announced the end of wearing masks just days before March 1 shows how the government didn't think things through -- why not have masks off for the start of the "Hello Hong Kong" campaign? Surely that would have been even more effective in enticing people to come back to the city? 

Even health experts were frustrated that there was no more science to justify having to wear masks outside in particular. Then suddenly poof! Masks are allowed off and people are reticent to do so.

Young children have been hit hardest by the mask mandate. They have been forced to wear face coverings that were unnatural to them (and could not understand why), but now they are so used to wearing them that it will take a while to get them to feel more comfortable to take them off.

Children will take time to adjust to no masks

Educators are concerned these young children have had their learning hampered by mask-wearing for three years. Pupils are unable to pronounce words properly as they cannot see their teachers' mouth movements and imitate them.

The pandemic may have also changed how people interact with others from handshakes to hygiene habits. In Canada it seems the handshake is pretty much back, though some are still anxious about reaching for someone's hand, others grateful to have human contact again.

In the meantime Hong Kong may see a spike in Covid-19 cases now that masks are officially off, but most of the population has herd immunity from vaccinations or from infections. 

What other momentous occasion happened today? The closing of Penny's Bay Community Isolation Facility!

It was opened by the Security Bureau, which made it apt that Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk Hau-yip "closed" the massive facility with a symbolic "lock" made of cardboard.

Cheuk with the "lock" on Penny's Bay

What is going to happen to all those shipping containers converted into mini cells for people who had mild symptoms or were close contacts of infected patients and had to wait it out here?

Is this place going to be yet another white elephant left to collect dust? There were talks of possibly making them into low-cost housing, but in terms of logistics it would be a no-go. What a waste of taxpayer money to build these facilities that were not really used but built to show Hong Kong's determination to fight the virus...

Over 40K Isolation Beds Collecting Dust in HK

The isolation centre at Lok Ma Chau Loop is empty

Remember when Hong Kong rushed to build Covid-19 isolation units, and even brought over mainland Chinese construction workers who built units that featured squat toilets? They had to be retrofitted with sit-down toilets after this were reported to the shock and horror of local residents.

While the pandemic is still ongoing but the latest variant, XBB.1.5 is not as severe though it is more infectious, the Hong Kong government has given up on forcing people into isolation, unless their living situation is such that they need to keep away from others for a few days.

Some were built with squat toilets at first

Only the facilities at Kai Tak and Penny's Bay are being used at the moment.

That means over 40,000 beds in an area covering 72 hectares (177 acres) are unused, the equivalent to 86 football fields.

Who knew the city had that much land -- remember it was suddenly donated by tycoons? Wonder if they want their land back now?

The facilities are in the New Territories in Tsing Yi, San Tin, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, Ma Sik Road in Fanling, Hung Shui Kiu, Tam Mi and in the Lok Ma Chau Loop.

Lawmaker Dennis Leung Tsz-wing said he understood the facilities had been closed for more than half a year, and that about 5,400 workers, including security guards and cleaners, were laid off last May. 

Units at Penny's Bay are still being used now

Not to mention it cost billions of dollars to build these units that were used for about a year, if that? And who paid for them?

Pro-establishment lawmakers (as they are the only ones in the Legislative Council these days), are pushing the government on this, suggesting these units not become white elephants, but be quickly repurposed into housing.

Some suggest it be used for low-income housing for individuals or families, or dormitories for large construction sites, or donated to other countries -- how benevolent. 

In response, some think it's too much trouble to repurpose them into housing units, while others say they should be moved elsewhere as some of these are in far-fetched locations.

Surely these units can be repurposed somehow?

Not even trying to repurpose these units just shows how wasteful the authorities are, and can't be bothered to challenge local architects and engineers to think of creative ways to reuse them.

It also reveals the government not even following its own mantra of telling people to reduce, reuse and recycle...