COUNTRY AND MARINE PARKS

To conserve the countryside, some 41 644 hectares (about 38 % of Hong Kong’s total land area) have been designated as country parks and special areas. All 23 country parks and 17 special areas are managed for conservation, recreation, education and tourism. Hiking trails, nature trails, barbecue and picnic sites, camp sites and visitor centres are provided in the country parks, drawing some 12 229 000 visitors in 2005-06.

Marine parks and marine reserves are also managed for conservation, recreation, education and scientific studies. There are currently four marine parks and one marine reserve, covering 2 430 hectares. They comprise scenic coastal areas, seascapes and important marine habitats with interesting marine fauna and flora, providing ideal opportunities for diving, snorkelling, canoeing and underwater photography. Some 215 000 visitors to marine parks were recorded in 2005-06.


HILL FIRES

In 2005, 44 hill fires occurred over an area of 144 hectares with 16 400 trees damaged within or adjacent to country parks. The number of hill fires was slightly lower than that of the last two years, with smaller areas being affected. To rehabilitate the areas damaged by hill fires, tree seedlings will be planted at suitable sites in the coming year.


TREE PLANTING

Some 855 000 seedlings were planted in 2005-06, as compared with 735 000 in 2004-05. This increase of about 16% was due to the early start of the planting season in 2004 and the fact that many trees planted in March 2004 were included in the previous year’s count. Native species such as Castanopsis fissa, Cinnamomum camphora, Gordonia axillaris, Liquidambar formosana, Machilus breviflora and Schima superba were planted in 2005-06, accounting for about 56% of all plantings.

To enrich local plant diversity, the AFCD continued to produce seedlings of native tree species. Seedlings of uncommon species like Camellia crapnelliana, Camellia granthamiana, Camellia oleifera, Cryptocarya concinna and Cyclobalanopsis neglecta as well as seedlings of tree species that were not readily available in the market such as Machilus chinensis and Machilus thunbergi were also produced for planting in country parks.


COUNTRY PARK BASELINE SURVEY

The Department’s ecological baseline surveys continued during 2005-06. Findings included the rediscovery of the locally rare seagrass Ruppia maritima at Ham Tin, Sai Kung East Country Park; and the first recording of a local bat species, the Greater Bamboo Bat, at So Lo Pun, Plover Cove Country Park. This new species is remarkably adapted to roosting in the internodes or hollow joints of bamboo stems. Surveys also found the new seagrass species Halophilia minor at To Kwa Peng, Sai Kung, and subsequently at Ho Chung and Cham Chuk Wan in Sai Kung and Siu Tan in Hong Kong’s north-east. All these findings remind us of the richness and importance of local habitats.


NEW FACILITIES

Chinese Medicinal Plant Garden

To strengthen educational work on medicinal plants, the Department renovated the Medicinal Plant Garden at the Lions Nature Education Centre, Sai Kung. A greenhouse of 400 square metres was built on the original site and the plants therein were arranged according to their medicinal value. Sites offering three different habitat characteristics were also created in the adjoining outdoor area. The total area of the Medicinal Plant Garden now covers about 1 300 square metres and its collection of herbal plants has increased from 300 to 550 species. The Medicinal Plant Garden was formally reopened to the public in November 2005.

Ecological Enhancement Sites

Efforts have been made to enhance the diversity of flora and fauna in country parks. For instance, seedlings of native species have been planted within plantations of exotic species to enrich their species diversity and ecological value. Artificial wetlands were constructed for attracting aquatic wildlife. Attempts were also made to breed rare fish species at these artificial wetlands, with encouraging results.

To allow the public to better appreciate the rich local flora and fauna, some of these ecological enhancement sites have been opened to the public, with interpretative signs and displays to provide basic information on the wildlife and plants found there. These sites include a Butterfly Garden at Shing Mun Country Park and two artificial wetlands at Tai Tam and Pat Sin Leng Country Parks. More ecological enhancement sites are now under preparation and will be opened in the coming year.


MANAGEMENT OF MARINE PARKS

Due to the popularity of marine parks, a number of measures have been taken to address the increase in visitors. These include increased patrols, with volunteers available to advise visitors, the provision of guided walks and the publication of educational materials. Law enforcement action has also been taken to combat illegal activities.

In March 2004, some corals in the Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park were found to have been damaged by a large moving object, likely a vessel. An Inboard Vessel Prohibited Zone was promptly established within the Marine Park in June 2004 to prohibit the entrance of large inboard vessels into shallow coral sites. Since then, no further large-scale coral damage has been recorded. The damaged coral’s rehabilitation was closely monitored and the outcome was deemed satisfactory.


NATURE CONSERVATION EDUCATION

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) World Commission on Protected Areas, 5th Conference on Protected Areas of East Asia

This important conference was held in June 2005 at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Jointly organised by The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Friends of the Country Parks and the AFCD, the event took the theme “Sustainable Management of Protected Areas for Future Generations”. A total of 254 representatives from 11 countries joined the conference and gave oral and poster presentations on four sub-themes. The conference succeeded in cultivating closer cooperation for better management of protected areas in East Asian countries and regions, including China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Mongolia, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region. The event also provided excellent opportunities for country representatives to learn and share skills and techniques on the management and conservation of protected areas.

Promotion of Hiking Safety

With the publication of Walkers’ Companion and Hiking All in One, the public gained comprehensive information on Hong Kong’s four long-distance hiking trails and the 100 other hiking trails in its country parks. To further promote hiking activities and hiking safety, the Department uploaded useful hiking information and safety hints onto the website www.hkwalkers.net, and also published the How to Get to Country Parks booklets. A new Hiking Practice Trail was set up at Pak Tam Chung, and Sai Kung Regional Hiking Handbooks and 18 Hiking Hints were compiled under the support of various District Councils. To further promote hiking safety, public seminars and hiking activities were organised in collaboration with the Hong Kong Police, Civil Aid Services, Hong Kong Hiking Association, and the China and Hong Kong Scouts Association.

Enhancement of Nature Appreciation Skills

To improve the interpretation skills of nature tour guides and assist the Skills Upgrading Scheme, the Department began organising a Nature Appreciation Foundation Course for the tourism trade in 2005. The course is held for local tour guides who wish to raise the quality of their nature interpretations. In 2005-06, the Hints for Nature Appreciation booklet was also reprinted for the public’s reference. It is our hope that all these activities will help the public gain a better understanding and appreciation of nature.

Hiking Activities

Hiking is one of the most popular country park activities. To further promote hiking as a healthy outdoor activity for the community, the Department organised two major hiking events in Sai Kung and Tai Po during December 2005 and January 2006. Both events were welcomed by the public with more than 13 000 people participating.






Workshops and Seminars for Teachers

To promote the countryside as a nature classroom and to support teachers in conservation education, the Department organised 26 workshops and field trips for over 1 000 teachers covering a variety of themes such as hiking safety, nature interpretation skills and the basic principles of ecology.






Marine Conservation Education Programme

The Department organised a variety of marine conservation education activities targeting various sectors of the community. In the past year, we organised 180 public eco-tours, eight public seminars, five beach cleanup activities, 39 school lectures, 53 exhibitions and 18 other kinds of educational activities, benefiting over 150 000 participants.


LAW ENFORCEMENT

Park wardens patrol country parks and special areas on a regular basis to provide visitor services and to enforce the Country Parks Ordinance and related legislations. In 2005-06, 1 130 offenders were prosecuted with fines totalling $1,240,500. Detailed statistics are available in Appendix 13. Under the Fixed Penalty (Public Cleanliness Offences) Ordinance (Cap. 570), 624 of those offenders were prosecuted for littering, spitting and dog fouling, 44 offenders were charged with unauthorised possession of protected plants or damaging plants, while 12 persons were responsible for illegal use of fire in the countryside or a country park. Park wardens also conducted frequent special operations in the country parks, such as searching for illegal animal traps, visiting villages for the promotion of fire prevention and assisting the police in search-and-rescue exercises. Moreover, regular joint operations with the police were arranged to combat crimes such as robbery and the illegal felling of Buddhist Pines and Incense Trees.

In our marine parks and reserves, wardens patrol on a daily basis and at irregular hours, paying special attention to stop illegal fishing activities and other offences. Close liaison is also maintained with the Marine Police as well as the Fisheries Authority of Shenzhen to combat illegal fishing by Mainland fishermen in marine parks. Wardens give advice or warnings to visitors and make prosecutions when necessary. In 2005-06, some 80 prosecutions were made with total fines of $84,450.