Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ1: Stray cattle and buffaloes in rural area
Following is a question by the Hon Kwong Chi-kin and a reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (July 12):
Question:
Will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the respective current numbers of wild or abandoned cows in the rural
area, with a breakdown by their species and distribution;
(b) whether the authorities have taken measures, other than catching and
killing, to preserve such cows and separate them from people for harmonious
human-bovine coexistence; if so, of the details of such measures; if not,
whether they will draw up such measures; and
(c) of the number of organisations or individuals currently providing
accommodation and care to such cows; in the past three years, the assistance
provided to these organisations or individuals by the authorities and the number
of applications received for short-term lease of government land to accommodate
and take care of such cows; and the location and area of the land involved in
each application, as well as the application results; whether the relevant
government departments have looked for land to preserve and care for such cows?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) estimated that
there were around 1100 stray cattle and buffalos without owners in the rural
areas in 2005. Their distribution is as shown in the Table.
(b) As stray cattle and buffalos do not have any conservation value, the
Government would not allocate resources to keep the cattle and buffalos under
its conservation policy. Besides, the Government also control the number of
stray cattle and buffalos with methods such as catching in order to reduce
disturbance of stray cattle and buffalos to the public.
(c) At present, there is only one voluntary organisation which rears cattle and
buffalos, with approximately 60 cattle and buffalos.
Although stray cattle and buffalos do not have any conservation value, if a
voluntary organisation has adequate land and would like to keep and care for
cattle on its own initiative, the Government would not raise any objection.
If the organisation concerned plans to lease suitable vacant Government land to
keep and care for cattle that do not have owners, they may submit an application
to the District Lands Office concerned. The Lands Department would process the
applications in accordance with the land grant policy and proper procedures.
Since 2001, the Lands Department has processed applications from two
organisations that have applied to lease Government land for the above-mentioned
purpose. Many of the sites under application were Government land at New
Territories and Lantau Island. But none of it was granted in the end because of
environmental hygiene or pollution reasons, views of local community, rejection
by departments as unsuitable or withdrawal by the applicants on their
initiative. At present, an organisation plans to lease a piece of the Government
land at Nam Sang Wai, Yuen Long, which has an area about 34 000 square metres
for the above purpose, and is now solving issues related to zoning.
Ends/Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Issued at HKT 14:21
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