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Following is a question by the Hon Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, at the Legislative Council meeting today (May 19):
Question:
It has been reported that in recent months the butterfly assemblages located in the fung shui wood and the adjoining scrubland in the vicinity of the hillside of Lung Kwu Tan Village were sprayed with herbicides, causing the death of Bidens alba and Lantana, which are the main nectar plants for the locally rare Cethosia bildis. The site covers an area of 2,576 square metres, and half of the affected area is government land. According to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, it is an offence to spray herbicides or carry out illegal excavation on government land. Yet, some experts have pointed out that Lung Kwu Tan has been exposed to damages since five years ago, and the number of butterfly species in the area is decreasing, and some rare species such as Prioneris thestylis and Prioneris philonome also disappeared. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it will conduct a review on how to enhance law enforcement actions, and what specific plans are in place to conserve the rare species of butterfly in Hong Kong?
Reply:
President,
The Government is committed to the promotion of nature conservation, and over the years, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has been implementing various measures to conserve the local butterflies and their habitats. Some important habitats for butterflies, such as Siu Lang Shui and Fung Yuen Valley, are listed as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and AFCD has been conducting habitat management on these sites to protect their biodiversity. To provide a better habitat for butterflies, AFCD has implemented habitat enhancement plans in various sites. For example, at areas like Shing Mun Country Park and She Shan SSSI, AFCD has grown host plants for rare butterfly species such as Golden Birdwing (Troides aeacus), Common Birdwing (Troides helena) and Common Rose (Pachliopta aristolochiae), and has enhanced the breeding success of these species. Furthermore, the Tai Po Environmental Association (TPEA) has since 2005 received funds from the Environment and Conservation Fund to implement the Management Agreement project under the New Nature Conservation Policy. TPEA has set up the Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve on the private land of around 2 hectares at Fung Yuen, and embarked on butterfly conservation works thereat. The project has improved the butterfly habitat and increased the diversity of butterfly species at Fung Yuen.
Since 2002, AFCD has initiated a territory-wide survey programme on butterfly, which includes a baseline survey on the species, abundance and distribution of butterflies in Hong Kong, as well as regular monitoring of the important habitats for butterflies. The survey shows that both the abundance and number of species of butterflies in Hong Kong have increased in the past few years. At present, Hong Kong has 240 butterfly species, among which over 98% could be found in local protected areas such as country parks and special areas.
The Lung Kwu Tan area is presently not covered by any statutory town plan. Land development of the area however would have to be subject to relevant legislation. Regarding the report that the hillside of Lung Kwu Tan Village has been damaged, we understand that government land nearby has previously been illegally excavated. In this connection, the Lands Department has cleared the illegally grown plants, fenced off the site, and has stepped up patrolling efforts thereat, to prevent government land from being illegally occupied. As to the private agricultural land at the site, government departments will continue to monitor the relevant sites, and will take enforcement actions if necessary.
According to the observations of AFCD, there is no evidence to show that the number of butterfly species is decreasing at Lung Kwu Tan. In fact, the number of some butterfly species will fluctuate during years and seasons. For some butterfly species such as the Spotted Sawtooth (Prioneris thestylis) and Redspot Sawtooth (Prioneris philonome), there have been very few records of their appearance at the Lung Kwu Tan site over the years. There has also been no clear data to show that these species have disappeared from the site. In order to conserve the butterflies at the site, AFCD will continue to monitor the butterfly species and their abundance at the site, and keep in view the ecological environment of the butterfly habitats there.
Ends/Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Issued at HKT 12:13
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