Miscellany (pdf)

	Nature outlook: consultation document - review of nature conservation policy
	Conservation policy in Hong Kong - marine matters

Conservation policy in Hong Kong – marine matters

by Yvonne sadovy

A public consultation on nature conservation policy in Hong Kong is underway (www.etwb.gov.hk) (see the previous article by Billy for more details). As a first step, this initiative is to be welcomed but, in focusing with private land (and only terrestrial) issues, it falls far short of what is needed in Hong Kong. For example, it barely grazes the marine environment, excluded on the basis that, in Hong Kong, terrestrial conservation is the centre of debates and criticisms. This ignores significant concern and years of commentary and work by many on and in the local marine environment.

Is the marine realm so unimportant? The marine environment covers a comparable area to the terrestrial one, contains over 1,000 vertebrate species and thousands of invertebrates, is arguably more threatened and is afforded virtually no conservation at all. Our single tiny marine reserve at Cape d’Aguilar is the only protected marine area (other than those off limits for security or other purposes) (see Porcupine! 28, p. 1). With very few exceptions marine species are not protected; most would not be included under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (CAP 170), in which "animal" means any form of animal life other than fish and marine invertebrates. The latter fall under the Fisheries Protection Ordinance (CAP 171). This separation of fish and wildlife is not unusual, and is found elsewhere. However, it typically presupposes that ‘fish’ (all forms of aquatic life and turtles under CAP 171), commercial species at least, are appropriately managed under fisheries regulations, of which virtually none occur in practice in Hong Kong.

So, neither marine habitats nor the overwhelming majority of marine species have any protection at all in Hong Kong, nor are they likely to have any in the near future. From a conservation perspective, this is a serious shortcoming of the Nature Conservancy Policy; marine habitats are being degraded and many species of fish have virtually disappeared from Hong Kong’s waters with at least one, the Chinese bahaba, Bahaba taipingensis, very probably close to extinction (Sadovy & Cheung, 2003). This species is protected in mainland China, but not locally.

There is clearly not only a need for a full review of the conservation policy but a much greater emphasis on marine issues. The opportunity to comment on this shortcoming in the current consultation exercise should be taken. In the longer term, we must work towards developing a comprehensive listing of marine species of conservation concern, and practical but effective approaches to marine conservation. Comments on the consultation should be submitted by the October 18^th deadline. Please participate in this process.

 

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