I apologise about any delays that some of you may have experienced with the renewal of FCA permits. I would like to take this opportunity to clarify the situation.
Application Procedure
In order to automatically renew permits, it was necessary for WWF staff to work out which permits were due to expire and to confirm that the old permit had been collected (there are uncollected FCA permits every year). Unfortunately a few individuals do appear to have been overlooked in the past, and I am sorry if you were one of those individuals.
WWF has changed the procedure for permit renewal to help make administration of the process easier and to reduce the risk of an individual being overlooked by our staff. It is now the responsibility of the permit holder to submit the necessary documentation (current AFCD permit and WWF membership) to WWF at the end of the year, for us to send to the police for processing. Information about this change in system has been sent to FCA permit holders via email at the time of collection of their previous permits. Information about the current process is available on the WWF website (
http://wwf.org.hk/en/getinvolved/gomaipo/spetour/).
Processing time
The new permit application usually takes about 6-8 weeks. Again, this is stated on the WWF website (
http://wwf.org.hk/en/getinvolved/gomaipo/spetour/). For efficiency, applications are submitted to the police in bulk once per month rather than individually (it is the police that issue these permits, not WWF). Processing time with the police can vary in individual cases. Some applicants may receive their permit quickly (often less than 6-8 weeks) while others may have some delay depending upon circumstances at the time of submitting the application. The new permit renewal procedure should mean that anyone who sends their details by the end of the year should receive the new permit before the old one is due to expire. Again, I apologise to any individuals who have previously had to wait for the arrival of their permit.
Mathew Cheng
Centre Manager, Mai Po Nature Reserve
