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iii) it contains the kei wais (shrimp-ponds)
which are a highly productive habitat (detritus, algae and micro-organisms) acting as a major feeding and roosting area for waders and shorebirds.
iv)
it acts as a stopover point on a major migratory route and several particularly rare species have been recorded.
The
effectiveness of the Mai Po Marshes reserve for conservation and educational purposes has been limited by the shortcomings of the permit conditions for the kei wais, inadequate manpower and resources available to prevent the illegal conversion of kei wais to deep fish-ponds, the illegal impoundment of mangroves, complex land tenure patterns, and the detrimental effects of water pollution in Deep Bay.
5.3.10 In addition to Mai Po Marshes, the tidally- influenced, abandoned paddy area north-west of San Tin Village has proven particularly attractive to local and migratory birds. Numbers have risen sharply since the im- position of hunting bans in the late 1970's. The more westerly and northerly sections are being progressively converted to fish-ponds, however, reducing their attraction to wildfowl, parti- cularly waders and shorebirds. There has been no detailed bird count, but the following list gives an indication of maximum numbers, as recorded in the Deep Bay area, by the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society.
Dalmation Pelicans
Egrets
Herons
-
Teal
Terns
flocks of up to 80 occur in winter
may be 1500 roosting in the mangroves in winter
up to 500 recorded in winter
winter visitor with up to 600 recorded over 1200 recorded in both spring and autumn
Kentish Plover
Ducks
G
-
up to 1000 reocrded in winter winter visitor with up to 5000 estimated in the Deep Bay area
5-14
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