The AFCD has further responded in an email committment to Living Seas Hong Kong that education and publicity efforts would be strengthened to the local fishing community about how to identify endangered species, the need for protecting species as well as the actions that need to be taken if these species are encountered or accidently caught.
This is needed, and is a start to ensuring this event does not happen again. However Living Seas Hong Kong believes that it is just as important to educate AFCD staff out in the field about these issues and to ensure that they are empowered to enforce whatever new legislative protection is put into place.
We also continue to work towards making the required changes to the legislative framework around protection of marine species.