Hong Kong’s new marine park up and running

The newly designated North Lantau Marine Park -  the eighth and largest marine park in Hong Kong is up and running on Friday, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department announced.

Covering about 2,400 hectares of water, the marine park is one of the measures for mitigating the impacts on Chinese White Dolphins and fisheries habitats brought about by the construction and operation of the Three-Runway System Project.

The establishment of the marine park increases the area of Hong Kong's protected marine habitat to over 8,500 hectares, which is conducive to the conservation of the Chinese White Dolphins and the marine environment and ecosystem in North Lantau waters.

A department spokesman said the marine park will adopt management measures similar to those of existing marine parks, including routine patrols and law enforcement, restricting vessel speed to 10 knots, and accepting North Lantau Marine Park fishing permit applications for local fishing vessels registered under the Fisheries Protection Ordinance.

The department has coordinated with the Marine Department to remind the marine sector of the above regulations twice in the second half of this year, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, the spokesman said the marine park is contiguous with the Pearl River Estuary Chinese White Dolphin National Nature Reserve established in Guangdong Province, allowing for better protection of core CWD habitats.

“The AFCD is in liaison with the relevant Mainland authorities regarding the establishment of the Guangdong-Hong Kong Chinese White Dolphin marine protected areas network platform to strengthen co-operation on management and enforcement, ecological monitoring and enhancement, as well as education and publicity between the two places,” the spokesman added.