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Nature Conservation |
WORK OF THE CONSERVATION BRANCH
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 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Hong Kong's topography and subtropical climate provide a wide range of habitats that support a rich variety of flora and fauna. Scenically, it has a great deal to offer – a landscape rising from sandy beaches and rocky foreshores to a height of almost 1,000 metres, with woodlands and hilly areas covered by open grassland, as well as a variety of scenic vistas rarely seen in such a small place.
In Hong Kong, there are more than 3,300 species of vascular plants, of which about 2,100 are native; 57 species of terrestrial mammals; 538 species of birds; 185 species of freshwater fish; 86 species of reptiles and 24 amphibian species. Insect diversity is also very high with some 240 species of butterflies and 123 species of dragonflies.
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BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN
During the year, a variety of publicity programmes were held to enhance public understanding on biodiversity and to engage stakeholders in BSAP formulation. The Environment Bureau and the Department co-organised a three-month Hong Kong Biodiversity Festival with 20 partner organisations including non-governmental organisations and universities, offering more than 120 activities such as workshops, eco-tours, seminars and exhibitions, to over 160 000 participants.
A three-month public consultation for formulating the first BSAP of Hong Kong was launched in January 2016. Over 20 briefing sessions and meetings were held to seek views from general public and stakeholders. The Government would consider the comments received in the public consultation as well as the views collected during the public engagements in the past two years, and finalise the BSAP for implementation within 2016.
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The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), an international treaty aiming at conserving biodiversity, utilising its components sustainably and ensuring fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources, was extended to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2011. While Hong Kong is not a Party to the CBD , the Government has been formulating the first city-level Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP) according to our own particular conditions and capabilities, to step up conservation efforts and support sustainable development and with a view to contributing to global efforts on biodiversity conservation.
ENHANCED NATURE CONSERVATION
Under the New Nature Conservation Policy announced in November 2004, 12 Priority Sites have been identified for enhanced conservation through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Management Agreement (MA) projects. The Department is responsible for monitoring the implementation of PPP and MA projects carried out by the private sector or non-governmental organisations in these sites.
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As at March 2016, there were four MA projects implemented at four Priority Sites. The two MA projects commenced in Long Valley and Fung Yuen since late 2005 covered around 15 hectares of private land. Two other MA projects at Ramsar Site and Deep Bay Wetland outside Ramsar Site covering about 330 and 400 hectares of fishponds respectively have commenced since 2013 to sustain the efforts in promoting conservation of fishponds in the Inner Deep Bay area. The increase in the number and diversity of birds in Long Valley and butterflies in Fung Yuen as well as the increased abundance of waterbirds at fishponds during drain-down suggested that the MA scheme was effective in enhancing the conservation value of the sites. In addition to the direct benefit to biodiversity, the projects also raised the conservation awareness of the public, local residents and fish farmers.
The Department has been conducting a territory-wide ecological survey programme since 2002 with a view to maintaining and updating an ecological database for Hong Kong. The survey programme covers all major habitats of high conservation value in Hong Kong, as well as the distribution and abundance of selected animal groups. As at March 2016, about 255,000 records of local species had been collected, verified, and stored in the database.
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ECOLOGICAL SURVEYS AND DATABASE
During the year, the Department continued to boost public interest in local biodiversity and arouse public awareness of nature conservation through its online database on representative species and habitats at Hong Kong Biodiversity Online and the Hong Kong Live Eco-map. The Department also developed a central database using the Geographical Information System which incorporated survey data and ecological information available from other sources.
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The survey findings confirmed that Hong Kong has a rich biodiversity, including species new to Hong Kong and even new to science. The findings further indicated that a very significant portion of this biodiversity has been well preserved in our protected areas. For the species groups surveyed and analysed, over 98% of the terrestrial and freshwater species that are regularly seen in Hong Kong have representative population(s) inside our protected areas.
THE MAI PO INNER DEEP BAY RAMSAR SITE
About 1,500 hectares of wetland in the Mai Po and Inner Deep Bay area was listed as a Ramsar Site in 1995. The Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site is located along the major migratory bird flyway "East Asian - Australasian Flyway" and is an important stopover site and habitat, supporting over 150 species of migratory and local waterbird species.
Since 2001, the Department has implemented a baseline ecological monitoring programme for the Ramsar Site. This long-term monitoring programme aims to collect ecological baseline information on the benthic communities and the condition of wetland habitats at the Ramsar Site. Commissioned by the Department, the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society has been carrying out a monthly waterbird monitoring programme for the Deep Bay area since 1997. From October 2015 to March 2016, the peak count of waterbirds at the Ramsar Site in mid-winter was 57,778, comprising 17,701 ducks and grebes, 21,482 shorebirds, 6,609 gulls and terns, 8,247 cormorants, 3,556 egrets and herons, and 183 rails and coots.
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BLACK-FACED SPOONBILLS
A conservation plan for Black-faced Spoonbills has been in place since 2001 which aims at maintaining the Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site in favourable conditions for the wintering Black-faced Spoonbills in Hong Kong. The plan also comprises measures for species and habitat protection and management, monitoring and research, education and training as well as regional cooperation.
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The Black-faced Spoonbill is a globally endangered species that can only be found in the East Asia region. In 2015-16 winter, the global population survey recorded 3,356 individuals. The highest count for wintering population in the Deep Bay area recorded in January 2016 was 371 individuals, i.e. about 11% of the global population made the Inner Deep Bay area their winter or stop-over migration site. The area has the third largest number of wintering Black-faced Spoonbills in the world.
SEA TURTLES
Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) is the only sea turtle species that regularly nests in Hong Kong. Various conservation measures have been put in place, including the designation of Sham Wan beach on Lamma Island as a Restricted Area during the nesting period of Green Turtles from June to October each year, regular patrols and public education about sea turtle conservation in Hong Kong. During the year, two Green Turtles were released in September after rehabilitation at the Ocean Park Hong Kong. With a view to tracking their movement and locating their foraging grounds in the South China Sea, transmitters were attached to these turtles for satellite telemetry. Satellite tracking revealed that one of these turtles arrived at their foraging grounds in Dongshan Dao, Zhangzhou. The other turtle passed the Wanshan Archipelagos, then headed south to the South China Sea.
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CONTROL OF TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES
During the year, enforcement actions in combating illegal trade in endangered species were vigorously taken, resulting in 479 seizures that involved a variety of endangered species. The more commonly encountered specimens included live tortoises/turtles, red sandal wood, orchid, ivory, reptile leather products, dried seahorse and pangolin carcass/scale.
To send an unequivocal message to the international and local communities that Hong Kong is determined to curb illicit trade in ivory, the Department started the phased destruction of confiscated ivory in 2014. Up to March 2016, about 22 tonnes of ivory had been destructed by incineration. Destruction of the remaining stock was expected to complete by mid-2016.
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The 2016 Policy Address announced that the Government would initiate legislative procedures as soon as possible to ban the import and export of elephant hunting trophies and actively explore other appropriate measures including enacting legislation to further ban the import and export of ivory, phase out local ivory trade and impose heavier penalties on smuggling and illegal trading of endangered species.
Continuous efforts were made by the Department in educating the general public, students and traders to raise their awareness of protection of endangered species and compliance with relevant legislation. Such efforts include operating the Endangered Species Resource Centre, conducting talks in schools, holding roving exhibitions at public venues, distributing advisory leaflets as well as mounting displays at the airport and border control points.
Statistics on the control of trade in endangered species are at Appendix 12.
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In recent years, there have been growing concerns over the poaching of elephants in Africa and the global smuggling of ivory. In this regard, the Department had reviewed the regulatory regime of the ivory trade and devised a suite of enhanced measures to step up enforcement against smuggling of ivory and to strengthen the control of local trade in ivory in cooperation with the Customs and Excise Department and the Police.
CONTROL OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
The Genetically Modified Organisms (Control of Release) Ordinance (the Ordinance) (Cap 607) is the local legislation which gives effect to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Ordinance controls the release into the environment, and the import and export, of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Under the Ordinance, prior approval has to be sought from the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation before a GMO could be released or imported into Hong Kong for release into the local environment. In addition, shipments containing GMOs, when being imported or exported, have to be accompanied with prescribed documents to enable easy identification of the GMOs and to provide the contact points for further information.
The Department launched a number of educational and publicity activities to enhance public awareness and understanding of the Ordinance, which included distributing pamphlets to the general public, broadcasting videos at the airport, and updating the online GMOs Register. Circular letters were also distributed to stakeholders to notify them of the latest news and information about the Ordinance.
THE HONG KONG WETLAND PARK
The Department is responsible for the management of the Park, with respect to daily operation, education and community services, exhibit maintenance, habitat management and marketing promotion.
In 2015-16, the Park organised a wide range of activities for some 202,000 visitors of all ages including guided tours, seminars, wildlife watching classes, contests, dramas, art workshops and thematic events.
The Park offered guided visit programmes to students from kindergartens to senior secondary schools. In 2015-16, the Park conducted over 840 guided tours for more than 19,800 students. In addition, the Park organised exhibitions, talks, teacher's workshops and partnership programmes to support wetland education in schools. Twelve teacher's workshops were organised in the year to enhance teachers' knowledge in conducting education activities at the Park.
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Opened in May 2006, the Hong Kong Wetland Park (HKWP) is a landmark in wetland conservation, with a mission to promote eco-tourism in Hong Kong and foster public awareness of the values of wetlands. The Park combines the natural beauty of 60 hectares of wetland reserve with a visitor centre of over 10,000 square metres showcasing sophisticated exhibits on wetlands. During the year, the Park attracted about 460,000 visitors.
The Park continued to work with different sectors to promote the awareness of wetland conservation throughout the community. The Hong Kong Wetland Park Volunteer Scheme recruited over 1,050 volunteers in 2015-16. They assisted in the operation of the visitor centre and habitat management, and offered guided tours for visitors. The Park also established partnership programmes with corporations and non-governmental organisations to draw expertise and resources into the force of wetland conservation.
The Park plays an important role in promoting wetland conservation and education in the Asia Pacific region. Being an active player of the Wetland Link International – Asia (WLI-Asia) network, the Park shared the best practices and experience in wetland education with wetland centres in the region. Since 2003, the Department has been conducting habitat management at the Wetland Reserve with a view to enhancing its ecological functions. The wetland habitats in the Wetland Reserve support Black-faced Spoonbill and many other waterbird species. The cumulative number of bird species recorded at the Reserve has reached 255. Waterbirds or birds dependent on wetlands make up approximately 45% of all species recorded. In addition to birds, ecological surveys conducted at the Reserve have recorded a variety of other species especially the wetland indicators – dragonflies, amphibians and reptiles. The cumulative numbers of dragonfly, amphibian and reptile species recorded at the Reserve are 52, 10 and 29 respectively. This shows that, with proper site design and management, the objectives of nature conservation, education and tourism can co-exist. |
For the general public, the Park organised 10 public lectures for around 680 visitors during the year. Various thematic events were organised to tie in with public holidays and major festivals, such as Bird Watching Festival, The Miracles of Fruits and Seeds, Festive Christmas at HKWP, Lunar New Year at HKWP, Happy Easter at HKWP and World Wetlands Day Celebrations.
HONG KONG HERBARIUM AND FLORA CONSERVATION
Following the publication of the English version of Flora of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Herbarium collaborated again with the South China Botanical Garden in compiling the Chinese version of Flora of Hong Kong. The Chinese version will incorporate updates and revisions to the English version, as well as plant species newly recorded and species new to science. The first volume of the Chinese version of Flora of Hong Kong was published in December 2015 which covers 10 Gymnosperm families and 76 Angiosperms families of Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons).
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The Department manages the Hong Kong Herbarium which is responsible for the systematic collection, identification and maintenance of plant specimens of Hong Kong's flora. During the year, the specimen collection of the Herbarium exceeded 44,400, more than 300 of which are type specimens, making the Herbarium regionally important.
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The Herbarium is functioning as a resource centre for plant workers for its collection of specimens, associated field notes and botanical literature offering good reference materials to botanists who wish to study about the local flora. In addition, the Herbarium aims to promote public awareness of local flora through organising guided visits, publishing educational materials and managing the "Hong Kong Plant Database" which provides basic information of more than 3,300 local plant species and over 8,500 photos via the website of the
SITES OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) may be land-based or aquatic sites, which are of special scientific interest because of their flora, fauna, geographical or geological features. During the year, the Department continued to patrol and monitor the conditions and scientific values of all SSSIs. Where warranted, the Department also carried out appropriate habitat management work at some SSSIs to maintain or enhance their scientific value. For instance, Mikania control was conducted at Centre Island SSSI and Mai Po Village SSSI to improve the conditions of the trees so as to provide a suitable site for egrets and herons to nest. The Department also continued to review the status of SSSIs and identify new sites suitable for SSSI listing or make proposals for de-listing those sites no longer deserving the SSSI status due to changes in circumstances over time after their listing. Yim Tso Ha Egretry SSSI was de-listed in March 2016 as the egretry there had been abandoned for a long period of time. In 2015-16, there are 67 sites listed in the SSSI register.
CONTROL OF WILD MONKEYS
The wild monkey population in Hong Kong had increased in the past years and has caused public concern. To control the population increase in the long term, the Department has stepped up the field trial of contraceptive treatment. In 2015-16, the Department carried out such treatment on 131 monkeys. The Department also strengthened the enforcement of feeding ban in specific country parks to minimise monkey nuisance to visitors. During the year, a total of 53 country park visitors were prosecuted for unauthorised feeding of wild monkeys. With the implementation of both the feeding ban and the contraceptive programme, it is observed that there is a decreasing trend in the population of wild monkeys. |
