• To conserve the natural environment through the identification, designation and management of suitable areas as country parks, special areas, geopark, marine parks and marine reserves;
• To conserve important marine and terrestrial fauna and flora, such as the Chinese white dolphins, finless porpoises, coral communities, birds, mammals, butterflies and dragonflies;
• To promote nature appreciation through publicity and educational activities and the provision of suitable facilities.

COUNTRY AND MARINE PARKS

To conserve the countryside, as at March 2016, 44,300 hectares (about 40% of Hong Kong's total land area) have been designated as country parks and special areas. The Department manages 24 country parks and 22 special areas for conservation, recreation, education and tourism. Hiking trails, mountain bike trails, nature trails, barbecue and picnic sites, camp sites and visitor centres are provided in the country parks, drawing some 13.29 million visitors in 2015-16.

The Department manages four marine parks and one marine reserve covering 2,430 hectares for conservation, education and scientific studies. Marine parks, which are also for recreation, comprise scenic coastal areas, seascapes and important marine habitats with an abundance of important marine fauna and flora, providing ideal opportunities for diving, snorkelling, canoeing and underwater photography. Some 125,000 visitors to marine parks were recorded in 2015-16.

A map showing the country parks, special areas, marine parks, marine reserve and the Hong Kong Global Geopark of China is at Appendix 13.

Some 410,900 seedlings were planted in country parks in 2015-16. To enrich local plant diversity, the Department continued to produce and plant seedlings of native tree species. Major native species planted included Castanopsis (Castanopsis fissa), Gordonia (Gordonia axillaris), Sweet Gum (Liquidambar formosana), Zhejiang Machilus (Machilus chekiangensis), Many-nerved Machilus (Machilus pauhoi) and Chinese Gugertree (Schima superba). Among the seedlings planted, about 80% were native species.

Seedlings are produced in Tai Tong Nursery for tree planting in country parks. Located in Tai Lam Country Park with an area of 9.5 hectares, the nursery produced over 410,900 seedlings of more than 100 species in 2015-16.

The Tin Fu Tsai North Section of mountain bike trail in Tai Lam Country Park opened in December 2015. The 5.9km long new trail is designed as a sustainable trail meeting standards set by the International Mountain Bicycling Association. Installed with a number of challenging features such as berms, rock garden and drop-off, the narrow and winding route is suitable for cyclists with intermediate or advanced mountain biking skills. It is also the first mountain bike trail with distance posts so that bikers encountering emergencies can accurately report their locations to rescue teams and receive prompt assistance.

A geopark is a unique natural area with special geological significance and includes facets of natural and cultural heritage. With the objectives of conservation, education and sustainable development, the geopark in Hong Kong protects Hong Kong's rich geological resources, many of which are of high research, tourism, educational and scenic value.

Hong Kong Geopark was opened in 2009 and acquired its global status in 2011. With the formalisation of the new label "UNESCO Global Geopark", Hong Kong Geopark was renamed as "Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark" (HKUGG) in November 2015.

The HKUGG strove to enhance the accessibility to geo-sites. A Kaito ferry service between Ma Liu Shui and Lai Chi Wo commenced operation in January 2016. It significantly enhanced the accessibility to the area and demonstrated the cooperation between the government and with local communities.

On global networking, the HKUGG and the Ministry of Land and Resources General Office of the Science-Popularization Department co-organised the first Geoscience Capacity-Building Programme. Participants were from about 30 global geoparks, academic institutes and other science-popularisation bases in Mainland, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Uruguay, Japan and Australia, etc. A number of guided visits and sharing sessions were organised for representatives from Global Geoparks Network such as Mainland, Sweden, Italy, Malaysia and Japan.

In 2015, more than 20 primary and secondary schools participated in the Hong Kong Global Geopark School Programme which was one of the major science-popularisation initiatives. Programme activities included talks, workshops, guided visits, exhibitions and "Global E-classroom" sessions. In addition, HKUGG organised a series of talks at universities in Hong Kong to promote the geopark concept and to help students develop effective science transfer skills.

NATURE CONSERVATION EDUCATION

In 2015-16, the Department conducted a series of conservation activities for over 340,000 local students, teachers and nature lovers. The Department continued to carry out the Country Parks Education Programme "Nature in Touch" to strengthen the educational resources on nature conservation in country parks. This programme aimed at promoting a better understanding of country parks, biodiversity, flora conservation and geological characteristics in Hong Kong, thus enhancing public awareness of the importance in protecting the natural environment. The programme included a series of countryside learning activities for students and nature appreciation activities for the public.

During the year, a wide variety of public education activities including Nature Education Centre and outdoor guided tours, "Nature in touch" workshops and family day programme were held.  To promote the scenic attractions at Lantau Country Parks, a series of themed activities such as photo exhibitions, photography competitions and public lectures were organised.

In addition, a number of hiking events including "Hiking and Planting Day", "CAS Hiking Safety Promotion Day" and "Keep Fit Party Hiking Event" were held to introduce to the public the fun of hiking and the associated safety knowledge.

With a view to nurturing among the public an environmentally responsible habit of taking away waste after hiking in country parks, the Department launched the public education programme "Take Your Litter Home" in September 2015 with the support of green groups and hiking groups. Five trial sites, namely Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve, Ma On Shan Country Trail, Tai Lam Chung Country Trail, Dragon's Back on Hong Kong Island and Lantau Trail Section 3, were made litter-bin free for observation of the effectiveness of the programme.

During 2015, 165 volunteers completed the basic volunteer training under the Country Park Volunteer Scheme. A total of 587 trained volunteers served 33,463 man hours in the country parks conservation and education activities including publicity events, roving exhibitions, guided tours, hiking route patrols, and vegetation management.

To promote the beauty of marine life and habitats as well as enhance public awareness of the importance in conservation of our marine environment, the Department and the Hong Kong Underwater Association co-organised the "Hong Kong Underwater Photo and Video Competition 2015" from May to October 2015. The competition was well-received with a total of 438 entries submitted. The winning entries were exhibited in roving exhibitions at Olympic House, Hong Kong Wetland Park and Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre between October and December 2015.

The Department organised 12 dolphin field trips for secondary school teachers and students in collaboration with the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong in 2015-16. The field trips provided opportunities for students to watch Chinese white dolphins and to learn more about marine conservation.

During the year, the Department launched a series of publicity and educational activities under Ting Kok Coastal Conservation Plan. These activities included the creation of a website, publication of pamphlets, designation of tour routes and provision of coastal clean-up as well as eco-tour services for visitors.

During the year, the Department coordinated the annual Reef Check in collaboration with the Reef Check Foundation. Thirty-three coral sites were surveyed with the assistance of over 700 volunteer divers. Nineteen of these coral sites recorded high coral cover (i.e. more than 50%) and the growth of corals at all sites was stable. Results of the Reef Check were publicised to enhance public awareness of the current status of our marine environment and to seek the public's cooperation in protecting our valuable marine resources. The findings also provided the Department with important information on the health status of corals so that appropriate action could be taken to protect them.

Conservation of Corals

Apart from Ung Kong Wan, Sharp Island West and Port Island, specially-designed marker buoys were also installed at South Ninepin, Shelter Island and Sharp Island East during this year to protect more corals from anchoring damage. Regular sea patrols and underwater ecological surveys were also conducted to monitor the effectiveness of the coral marker buoys in these areas, and the results to date are encouraging. There has been an overall increase in live coral cover in the marker buoy area. Damaged corals have shown signs of recovery.

Conservation of Marine Mammals

There are some 2,500 dolphins living in the Pearl River Estuary including about 1,300-1,500 dolphins living in the eastern part of the Pearl River Estuary and Hong Kong waters. A study commissioned by the Department on long-term monitoring of marine mammals in Hong Kong, as one of the conservation measures implemented under the conservation programme for the Chinese white dolphin, detected reduced abundance of dolphins in Hong Kong waters in recent years. Based on detailed analysis, the estimated total number of Chinese white dolphin in Hong Kong waters in the four survey areas comprising Southwest, West, Northwest, and Northeast Lantau waters was 65 (the estimates for the last five years, i.e. 2010 to 2014, were 86, 88, 80, 73 and 87, respectively).  With the decline in the habitat use of Chinese white dolphin in North Lantau waters in recent years and a corresponding increase in habitat use in West and Southwest Lantau waters, Southwest Lantau has become an important dolphin habitat and contributed to a greater portion of the total abundance of dolphins in Hong Kong. Conservation actions including habitat protection and management, long-term monitoring of the dolphin population, investigation of dolphin stranding, promotion of public awareness of dolphin conservation, and liaison with the Guangdong authorities to exchange information on the conservation of the species are being pursued. Variations and trends in abundance of dolphins in Hong Kong waters during recent years are closely monitored. The Department will look into possible causes of the decline in dolphin population and formulate follow-up measures.

Underwater Ecological Surveys

In 2011, the Department formed a diving team for underwater ecological survey  comprising staff members who were experienced in scuba diving and underwater ecological survey. During the year, the diving team continued to undertake thematic projects such as the long-term monitoring programmes for hard and soft coral, gorgonian, black coral and reef fish, and focused studies on coral ecology and algae diversity.