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Following is a question by the Hon Li Kwok-ying and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, at the Legislative Council meeting today (June 28) :
Question:
It has been reported that large quantities of rubbish flow into the waterway beside the Riverside Hide and the Boardwalk within the Hong Kong Wetland Park each day during high tide. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it has traced the source of such rubbish; if so, of the results; if not, the reasons for that;
(b) where such rubbish is found to originate from Shenzhen waters, whether the authorities have reflected the problem to the Shenzhen authorities and discussed improvement measures with them; and
(c) of the impact of such rubbish on the ecology of the Hong Kong Wetland Park, as well as the current measures to alleviate such impact?
Reply:
Madam President,
The Hong Kong Wetland Park (HKWP) is located in the vicinity of the Tin Shui Wai Open Nullah and Deep Bay. The floating refuse found in the HKWP is likely to be from the nearby waterways and Deep Bay. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) monitors the situation on a daily basis and floating refuse was found in the HKWP only occasionally. When rubbish is spotted in the waterways within the HKWP, AFCD will take immediate action to clear them. The Marine Department will arrange scavenging of the refuse in the navigable waters of Deep Bay when significant amounts of floating refuse are spotted in the open sea. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department also clears the floating refuse in the neighbouring waterways on a monthly basis.
Given that AFCD will take prompt action to clear any rubbish found within the HKWP, the occasional influx of rubbish into the waterways of the HKWP will not have impacts on the ecological habitats there. In fact, according to the ecological monitoring conducted at HKWP, the number of wildlife species found there has been increasing. The latest survey shows that a total of 190 species of birds, 40 species of dragonflies and 110 species of butterflies were found in the HKWP, as compared to 160 species of birds, 37 species of dragonflies and 100 species of butterflies recorded in 2004.
Ends/Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Issued at HKT 12:29
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