hkskyline
August 29th, 2005, 08:21 PM
South China Morning Post
August 26, 2005
HEADLINE: Phuket in HK?
It can be done, says WWF
Proposal sees more no-fishing zones and fishermen offering tourism services
Cheung Chi-fai
The waters around Sai Kung and northeastern Hong Kong could offer a "Phuket -like experience" to tourists if they were turned into no-take zones for fishermen, the WWF-Hong Kong said yesterday.
Fishermen now operating in the area might have to be retrained to enable them to work as leisure boat operators, or to provide snorkeling or scuba diving trips.
Announcing the plan to restore Hong Kong's fisheries resources, local WWF chairman Markus Shaw said the organisation's proposal was "pragmatic, practical and achievable".
Under the proposal presented to Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen six weeks ago, the WWF calls for a quadrupling of protective zones from 2 per cent to 8 per cent of the city's total marine area.
The call came as the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department is proposing laws to set up fisheries protection zones in Tolo Harbour and Port Shelter, containing two small no-take zones, in a bid to put a brake on declining fish stocks.
"The AFCD's no-take zones are just not large enough and have ill-defined borders. They also do not cover natural reef areas, only artificial reefs. It does not make any sense," he said.
Mr Shaw said the AFCD plan lacked fisheries, conservation and marketing benefits, and said the no-take zones should be expanded to cover the whole of Tolo Harbour, Port Shelter and all marine park areas in northeastern waters.
Quoting a 2002 study by the University of British Columbia, the WWF estimated that in the first five years after no-take zones were established, fish biomass would grow from almost zero to 800kg per square kilometre in Hong Kong.
Mr Shaw said the WWF eventually wanted to designate about 20 to 30 per cent of Hong Kong's marine area as no-take zones if fisheries resources were to recover significantly.
But he believes the proposed 8 per cent, if successfully implemented, could pave the way for future expansion.
"If we do this, when you go to Tolo Harbour and Port Shelter, you will have a Phuket-like experience at your doorstep," he said, adding that fishermen would have to be given priority in new business and job opportunities.
It is estimated that about 300 fishermen and 30 trawlers operating in the two zones would be affected.
Pang Wah-kan, chairman of the Hong Kong Fishermen's Association, said the group did not object to the expansion of no-take zones, but stressed that fishermen had to be assured their livelihoods would not be affected.
"It would be good to be given opportunities to be retrained so that some fishermen could take up new jobs and make more money. But it all depends on whether the government has a clear plan to assist us," he said.
Mr Pang said fishermen would have to be compensated if they were banned from fishing in no-take zones.
August 26, 2005
HEADLINE: Phuket in HK?
It can be done, says WWF
Proposal sees more no-fishing zones and fishermen offering tourism services
Cheung Chi-fai
The waters around Sai Kung and northeastern Hong Kong could offer a "Phuket -like experience" to tourists if they were turned into no-take zones for fishermen, the WWF-Hong Kong said yesterday.
Fishermen now operating in the area might have to be retrained to enable them to work as leisure boat operators, or to provide snorkeling or scuba diving trips.
Announcing the plan to restore Hong Kong's fisheries resources, local WWF chairman Markus Shaw said the organisation's proposal was "pragmatic, practical and achievable".
Under the proposal presented to Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen six weeks ago, the WWF calls for a quadrupling of protective zones from 2 per cent to 8 per cent of the city's total marine area.
The call came as the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department is proposing laws to set up fisheries protection zones in Tolo Harbour and Port Shelter, containing two small no-take zones, in a bid to put a brake on declining fish stocks.
"The AFCD's no-take zones are just not large enough and have ill-defined borders. They also do not cover natural reef areas, only artificial reefs. It does not make any sense," he said.
Mr Shaw said the AFCD plan lacked fisheries, conservation and marketing benefits, and said the no-take zones should be expanded to cover the whole of Tolo Harbour, Port Shelter and all marine park areas in northeastern waters.
Quoting a 2002 study by the University of British Columbia, the WWF estimated that in the first five years after no-take zones were established, fish biomass would grow from almost zero to 800kg per square kilometre in Hong Kong.
Mr Shaw said the WWF eventually wanted to designate about 20 to 30 per cent of Hong Kong's marine area as no-take zones if fisheries resources were to recover significantly.
But he believes the proposed 8 per cent, if successfully implemented, could pave the way for future expansion.
"If we do this, when you go to Tolo Harbour and Port Shelter, you will have a Phuket-like experience at your doorstep," he said, adding that fishermen would have to be given priority in new business and job opportunities.
It is estimated that about 300 fishermen and 30 trawlers operating in the two zones would be affected.
Pang Wah-kan, chairman of the Hong Kong Fishermen's Association, said the group did not object to the expansion of no-take zones, but stressed that fishermen had to be assured their livelihoods would not be affected.
"It would be good to be given opportunities to be retrained so that some fishermen could take up new jobs and make more money. But it all depends on whether the government has a clear plan to assist us," he said.
Mr Pang said fishermen would have to be compensated if they were banned from fishing in no-take zones.