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Conservationist Dr Michael Lau Wai-neng said more efforts would have to be made to improve marine conservation. Photo: Nora Tam

Hong Kong environmental advisers say government’s biodiversity plan for city is short of ideas

Experts welcome some aspects but say consultation paper lacks ambition

A dedicated fund, hard targets and child-friendly mascots were among an array of recommendations floated by government ­advisers on Monday, many whom felt a consultation paper on the city’s first biodiversity plan lacked new ideas and ambition.

The government is in the process of drawing up a Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP), a road map to “stepping up conservation efforts and supporting sustainable development”.

The plan will enable it to comply with the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity, an international treaty it observes but is not a party to.

“I’m disappointed,” Advisory Council on the Environment member Dr Hung Wing-tat, said of the 60-page document, the bulk of which summarises existing conservation policies and measures. “You’ve put in black and white that there will be no major change. My interpretation of this is that it will be life as usual.”

Hung said the only way the final plan could be effective was to ensure conservation was prioritised in future planning and development projects such as by adding mandatory conservation plans on top of environmental impact assessments.

He also suggested the formation of a dedicated “fund” to execute the BSAP, which is currently focused on four main action areas – strengthening conservation, mainstreaming the concept of biodiversity, addressing knowledge gaps and increasing community involvement.

The government insisted it had already earmarked HK$150 million for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department to carry out the BSAP, though not as an independent fund overseen by a statutory committee.

Conservationist Dr Michael Lau Wai-neng said there were no hard conservation targets and cited weak marine conservation efforts. While 40 per cent of the city is country park, less than two per cent of its waters is under equivalent protection, he said.

Lau urged the government to set a target for marine protected areas. “Most marine parks we have are a result of mitigation measures for development projects. Why can’t we take the initiative to create more marine protected areas?” he asked.

Other members expressed concerns about how the government would make the concept of biodiversity more “mainstream”.

Conrad Wong Tin-cheung suggested a mascot similar to the Environment Bureau’s “Big Waster” character be created to make the concept of biodiversity more appealing to youngsters. “What we need is an icon,” he said.

Acting assistant director for conservation Simon Chan Kin-fung reassured members the consultation paper was not the actual plan and the government would consider the many proposals in preparing the final document.

The three-month consultation ends on April 7. The government hopes to implement the final plan by this year.

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