The Problems raised from “Mercy Releasing" / 「放生」所衍生的問題

放生是源於佛教或中國傳統宗教的習俗, 透過放生動物來累積福蔭; 儘管它的原意是為了讓將被屠宰的動物重獲生存的機會, 但是在過份都市化的香港, 這種出於善意的傳統習俗卻對不少動物造成嚴重傷害。
Mercy Releasing is sourced from the customs of Buddhism or Chinese tradition, which aims to increase one’s fortune by releasing animals may be slaughtered. Although the original aim of such customs is to rescue the animals for another chance of life, it brought too much sufferings to them nowadays.

根據兩棲及爬蟲協會在2017年的相關報章訪問所述, 隨著放生的次數及被放生的動物越來越多, 產生的問題也不斷上升: 被放生的紅耳龜(俗稱「巴西龜」)的龜殼因被刻上文字或符咒而出現流血或潰爛的情況, 同時因為放生的環境嚴重污染而死亡, 僅有10%在放生後獲救的龜隻獲得重生並找到適合的領養者; 像虎紋蛙(俗稱「田雞」)等蛙類動物被放生於草叢或郊外環境, 牠們獵食像香港南海溪蟹之類的本土動物, 甚至於傳染致命疾病, 進而破壞自然環境; 至於其他被放生的物種像魚、蝦、蟹及貝類動物等屬於人工繁殖, 無法在海洋環境生存。 儘管漁護署、像愛護動物協會及香港兩棲及爬蟲協會之類的動物福祉組織大聲疾呼, 要求民間停止這類傷害動物的宗教行為, 但是誠如翁靜晶律師所說, 放生這種宗教行為已變成「一種曲解了佛教的商機」, 成為宗教組織和水產商販間合作的產業鏈, 特區政府想取締相關行為時也擔憂引起民間和宗教團體的強烈反抗, 要根治和取締的話肯定是談何容易矣。
According to the Hong Kong Society of Herpetology Foundation’s newspaper interview in 2017, the problems raised from the increasing times and animals released of mercy releasing has been significantly increased: most of the red-eared sliders being mercy released are died after suffering from bleeding and festering on their back with the religious words or spells caved, also with the worsening sea pollution; The frogs being mercy released like East Asian bullfrog may damaged the natural environment by hunting local species like Nanhaipotamon Hongkongense and spreading fatal infectious diseases; For other animals like fish, shrimps, crabs, shellfish and etc, which are popularly “mercy-released" species, it can be fatal as they are products of captive breeding, they cannot survive in the natural environment. Although the Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department and several animal welfare groups like the SPCA Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Society of Herpetology Foundation urged the public to stop such religious ceremonies, but as what Dr. Mary Jean Reimer explained, mercy releasing has become “a commercial operation that misinterprets Buddhism", which has established a strong profit-making link between the religious firms and fishermen, it seemed impossible to ban or terminate these “so-called" religious activities. Even the Government is afraid of strong opposition from the public and related religious groups if they outlawed mercy releasing.

面對法例上的不配合, 部份關注被放生動物的動物福祉團體選擇主動出擊 – 兩棲及爬蟲協會在2020年於屯門公園及荃灣德華公園的水池內救走被「放生」的龜隻, 包括黃頭側頸龜(俗稱忍者龜)在內, 為牠們進行治療及安排領養; 不過在資源緊絀, 而放生情況無日無之的情況, 他們表示難以拯救所有身處環境惡劣的龜隻; 除了透過加強公眾教育及鼓勵領養外, 恐怕沒有其他方法阻止這種宗教化的虐待動物行為矣。
Some animal welfare groups opted to take the initiative as the Government doesn’t outlaw the mercy releasing: the Hong Kong Society of Herpetology Foundation has recently rescued the turtles being released in the ponds of Tuen Mun Park and the Jockey Club Tak Wah Park (Tsuen Wan), including the yellow-headed sideneck turtles, and providing them medical care and arranging for adoption. But the HKHERP expressed the impossibility of rescuing all the turtles suffered from such situation with limited resources and the continuation of mercy releasing, such phenomenon can only be terminated by the strengthening of civic education towards such topic and encouraging pets adoption.

至於上文提及的部份動物福祉機構, 可參考它們的官方網頁或Facebook專頁如下
1) 愛護動物協會 (SPCA): http://www.spca.org.hk
2) 香港兩棲及爬蟲協會 (HKHERP): http://www.hkherp.org.hk/
3) 嘉道理農場暨植物園 (KFBG): http://www.kfbg.org/tc/

For further information about the following animal welfare groups mentioned in this article, please visit their official websites as follow:
1) The Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Hong Kong (SPCA Hong Kong) : www.spca.org.hk/en/
2) The Hong Kong Society of Herpetology Foundation (HKHERP): http://www.hkherp.org.hk/en
3) Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG): http://www.kfbg.org/en/