Pigeon feeding ban goes down well with experts

A new feeding ban on feral pigeons on pain of heavier penalties that takes effect on August 1 could be a deterrent, Eastern district councillor Kenny Yuen Kin-chung said, as experts applauded the ban for reducing the risks of infectious diseases.

An amendment to the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance to expand the ban to cover feral pigeons was gazetted on Friday and lead to fines of up to HK$100,000 and prison terms of a year, or subject them to a fixed penalty of HK$5,000.

But Yuen said people might choose to feed wild pigeons in private areas to avoid arrest.

Yuen said the government should enhance education by posting more banners and distributing leaflets at feeding "black spots," as well as setting up surveillance cameras there.

Infectious disease specialist Wilson Lam Wai-shun said feeding brings large flocks of pigeons.

Their feces may lead to the spread of cryptococcus - a type of fungi that humans can contract through contact, he said. Cryptococcus mostly enters the body through the respiratory system and causes respiratory symptoms.

"Some patients may develop chronic pneumonia or even meningitis that may claim their lives," he said.

Medical Association expert Joseph Tsang Kay-yan agreed with the infection risks from droppings but said feeding would also lead to overbreeding of wild pigeons.

The ban comes as the Department of Health said Hong Kong saw 49 cases of psittacosis, also known as parrot fever, between 2020 and March of this year, among patients aged 36 to 88, with a quarter of them reporting a history of contact with birds.

Lam said the illness is non-seasonal and has no vaccines, and people can only protect themselves by avoiding contact with birds, especially parrots.

According to the department, symptoms include fever, chills, headaches, dry coughs, muscle pains and shortness of breath. But some patients could also develop serious complications, including inflammation of the brain or heart, or hepatitis.