The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said on Sunday that it was seeking legal advice on whether to prosecute two retailers who were allegedly found selling fish maws from the endangered fish, Totoaba Macdonaldi, that is indigenous to the Gulf of California in Mexico.
The discovery was made after undercover officers from the department visited 150 shops selling dried seafood, and later conducted DNA tests on the fish maws in question.
But the director of AFCD, Leung Siu-fai, said officers will continue inspecting the shops but did not believe Hong Kong has become a hub for illegal distribution of fish maws.
Under Hong Kong law, anyone convicted of importing endangered species without a licence faces a fine of up to HK$5 million and two years in jail.
The discovery was made after undercover officers from the department visited 150 shops selling dried seafood, and later conducted DNA tests on the fish maws in question.
But the director of AFCD, Leung Siu-fai, said officers will continue inspecting the shops but did not believe Hong Kong has become a hub for illegal distribution of fish maws.
Under Hong Kong law, anyone convicted of importing endangered species without a licence faces a fine of up to HK$5 million and two years in jail.
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1218047-20151018.htm
