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| The dried shark fins seized by customs officers at HK Airport |
Three Filipino men arrested at the airport in late August for
trying to bring into Hong Kong a huge amount
of dried shark fins and dried seahorses appeared in West Kowloon Court
Jomar Goron, Aldrin Jay Lacuesta and Michael Roy Marcelino,
aged between 21 and 36 years old, appeared before Magistrate Peter Law and were
each charged with violating the law on the protection of endangered species.
No plea was taken but Law adjourned the cases until Dec 17
and told the defendants to return to court on that date for their committal to the
District Court.
Goron and Lacuesta were charged with “importing specimens of
Appendix II species otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of the
ordinance”, referring to the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and
Plants Ordinance.
Marcelino was charged with “importing specimens of Appendix
II species otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of section 11 of
Cap.586”.
The prosecution said the defendants were arrested on their arrival
from Manila on Aug 23 at Hong Kong International
Airport
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| Dried seahorses are a popular cure for impotence in traditional Chinese medicine |
The seized goods had an estimated market value of $50,000.
The case was handed over to the Agriculture, Fisheries and
Conservation Department, which prosecuted the defendants.
Under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and
Plants Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting an
endangered species without a license is liable to a maximum fine of $10 million
and imprisonment for 10 years.
Appendix II of the ordinance lists over 32,000 species that
are not threatened with extinction at present but may become so unless trade is
subjected to licensing controls.
Shark fin soup is a popular but pricey soup served in some Chinese
restaurants, while dried seahorses are mostly used in Chinese traditional medicine
to treat certain ailments, including abdominal pain, toxic swelling,
incontinence and impotence.
