香港總督府
ENV 50/09/02
N52
24 JUN1975
GOVERNMENT HOUSE
HONG KONG
27
2.44
17th June 1975
LAB)
*. i
Der Lawrence,
NEX
REF.
on Wet Lands of International Importance.
18
25
Your telegram No. 440: Convention
We do not dissent from your view about extension to Hong Kong, but it is important there should be no misunderstanding before Hong Kong is committed; I therefore recapitulate.
2.
#1
11
The only relevant area is the 800 acres of shrimp ponds (locally called Kei wais), known as the Mai Po marshes bordering Deep Bay. This is too minute a portion of the wet lands of the Pearl River estuary or South-East China to be of significance for the survival of migrant species, which must depend on the C.P.G. For the same reason we wonder whether the international significance of the marshes is not open to question. Was the Convention intended for such a tiny area? However, the 'marshes' are certainly a fascinating area for study purposes. Accordingly we will do what we reasonably can to preserve them for this purpose so long as it does not involve us in excessive expense, or trouble with the Chinese commune that lays claim to part ownership of them. Neither of these reserves present a problem at present, and for the time being I am satisfied that development in the area can be contained or controlled so as not to frighten the birds or destroy their habitat.
3.
Against this background, and since the possibility of the construction of the housing estate makes measures to preserve the marshes urgent:
i)
we have imposed stringent conditions on the developer of the estate, including construction of a physical and visual barrier between the estate and the marshes, restriction to two storeys, total treatment of sewage, and proper administration of the estate.
L. O'Keeffe Esq., CVO
ched t
зато скованном