Extensive damage found in Hong Kong wetlands earmarked for conservation amid technology hub plans under Northern Metropolis scheme, environmental groups warn

Hong Kong environmental teams have reported in depth injury in wetlands earmarked for conservation for the reason that announcement of plans for a expertise hub close to the border final yr, urging the federal government to introduce measures to cease additional destruction.

Greenpeace and the Conservancy Affiliation launched the outcomes of their two-year research on Thursday which discovered that 15 per cent – or 78.7 hectares (195 acres) – of the wetlands designated for conservation within the authorities’s Northern Metropolis Growth Technique in 2021 had been broken by the top of final yr.

“We predict the federal government’s ‘growth first, conservation later’ strategy just isn’t a matter of precedence, however a revolving door for destruction,” Greenpeace campaigner Chan Corridor-sion stated.

The Northern Metropolis plan, which entails the conversion of wetlands and farmland close to the border into growth areas, has lengthy sparked controversy over the stability between conservation and growth.

The scheme, first talked about in 2021 by then chief govt Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, is a blueprint for the event of the northern New Territories into a serious hub for enterprise, innovation and expertise (I&T), eco-tourism, skilled providers and logistics.

The federal government that yr stated it aimed to ascertain a wetlands system spanning 2,000 hectares, together with a proposal to construct 4 wetland parks, however authorities in final yr’s coverage handle solely outlined plans for the Sam Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park.

No particulars had been offered for wetlands in Hoo Hok Wai, Nam Sang Wai and a proposed extension of the Hong Kong Wetland Park.

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Growth Secretary Bernadette Linn Hon-ho defended the zoning adjustments in October final yr, saying that the town must prioritise the standard of conservation, somewhat than the quantity of wetlands preserved, beneath restricted land provide.

The 2-year research discovered that Hoo Hok Wai, a patch of wetland subsequent to the Lok Ma Chau Loop, incurred probably the most injury, as 11.5 per cent of the land designated for a wetland park within the authorities plan had been dirty.

Researchers stated area journeys, examination of prosecution data and satellite tv for pc photos had revealed that 36.9 hectares of land, out of about 320 hectares earmarked for a wetland park, had been tarnished on account of unlawful waste dumping and the unregistered enlargement of fish ponds.

The injury doubled inside two years, from about 17.6 hectares in 2021 to an estimated 36.9 hectares final yr, based on the research.

Campaigner Chan accused regulation enforcement of being lax when it got here to wetland destruction, saying the environmental group had discovered persistent contamination regardless of authorities intervention.

Researchers stated a biotechnology agency was solely fined HK$4,000 (US$511) for unlawful building work involving the conversion of a fish pond right into a prawn farm.

Building waste had contaminated a fish pond positioned to the North of Liu Pok Village in Lok Ma Chau, a month after a authorities clearance letter to certify restoration efforts in July 2022, based on the researchers.

“We can’t depend on regulation enforcement to resolve the rising downside of destruction. Environmental teams have reported to authorities with proof of injury previously, however the issue simply received worse,” Chan stated.

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The Sam Po Shue wetlands close to San Tin, the one ecological web site marked with a conservation timeline, has additionally been affected by close by wreckage.

Kristy Chow Oi-chuen, a marketing campaign officer on the Conservancy Affiliation, stated researchers had noticed as many as seven vehicles pouring grime right into a fish pond in an hour close to Tun Yu Street in San Tin throughout a area journey final month.

Researchers found these vehicles heading again to a building web site, which public data confirmed was a personal residential undertaking, on the North of the Fanling golf course.

Advocates urged the federal government to put out a concrete timetable for wetland parks within the Northern Metropolis plan to stop personal growth tasks and unlawful waste dumping from encroaching the ecological websites.

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By evaluating websites marked for conservation within the 2021 plan and up to date growth data, the environmental teams discovered at the least 587.1 hectares of wetland earmarked for growth.

The land contains 267.2 hectares allotted for authorised personal tasks, 25.5 hectares for small homes and 114.3 hectares for different growth tasks.

“Below the federal government’s plans, the Sam Po Shue wetland park, the one park with a comparatively concrete timetable, has already suffered a lot injury, not to mention different parks with no detailed plans, no timeline and no promise on when they are going to be constructed,” Chow stated.

“Will we see additional injury sooner or later? The place will it occur? We aren’t positive, and that’s our concern.”

The Publish has reached out to the Growth Bureau and the Surroundings and Ecology Bureau for remark.