14
11:10 A certain amount of landscaping would be needed to 'break-up' the existing straight bunds. This would be aesthetically more pleacing as well as 'allowing for a higher visitor carrying capacity. Considerable planting would
be needed. Wildfowl are particularly prone to trampling down pond edges which can result in considerable erosion and it would thus be necessary to provide an artificial edge round some of the enclosures (Fig. 7).
12. Other Areas
12:1
The remainder of the existing Fourth Schedule 'no hunting' area should remain undeveloped and the area immediately to the south of the Wildfowl Park would allow for expansion of the Park if this becomes necessary at a later date. However for the Restricted Access Reserve and Wildfowl Park to function effic- iently for the maximum benefit to both birds and visitors it is advisable to make the area surrounding the project a Fourth Schedule 'no hunting area.
12.2
AS the human population of the Deep Bay Area increases, and more marginal land is taken up for fish ponds, the close proximity of hunters and fishfarmers increases the potential for dangerous accidents. Already there have been several incidents when members of the public have been hit by shot.
12.3
The true sportsman is, in fact, a nature conservationist who is willing to assist in protecting habitats of wildlife, as well as maintaining and replenishing the stock of game birds (Wong Bor in the Provisional Council Report). Although this passage was written by a Hong Kong hunter, local hunters have no organization or club equivalent to the Wildfowlers Association of Great Britain and Ireland (W.A.G.B.I.) or the 'Federations departmentales des chasseurs', and very rarely do anything to improve, or even maintain, game stocks or habitats.
12.4
Taking these points into consideration it is recommended that the existing Fourth Schedule area should be extended to ensure public safety and minimum distrubance to birds in the area surrounding the Reserve and Park, Ideally the whole of the 'no hunting area' proposed in the Provisional Council Report (1968) (Fig. 8) should be listed in the Fourth Schedule. Much of this area is already effectively a 'no hunting area' due to the regulations concerning the use of shotguns near habitations and public rights of way, however it would be a considerable advantage if this situation could be consolidated.
13. Management
13.1
In this section the Nature Conservation Area and the Nature Education Area are considered together since the management of the two must be interrelated.
13.2
There would appear to be several possible alternatives for management of the area. However it should be recognised that the area is Crown Land and that any management body would thus have to be Government controlled, in all probability, subordinate to the agriculture and Fisheries Department.
13.3
An existing private body such as the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society or Conservancy Association could manage the area or some form of 'Wildfowl Trust, similar to that in U.K., be formed. One major problem would be the limi- ted funds available and a public appcal would be required. It might be possible to organise an appeal to commercial concerns for financial assistance, but all too often money from such appeals has strings attached (it would be most unfor- tunate to have to errect large hoardings to advertice soft drinks in return for a contribution). Initially there would be very little to offer in return for membership of the 'Trust' since it would probably prove imposible even to pro- duce a worthwhile newsletter. On the whole it is felt that neither of these possibilities is very likely to succeed.