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22.
Conservation of Sha Lo Tung
Following is a question by the Hon Peter Wong Hong-yuen and a written reply by the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Bowen Leung, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
In view of the fact that the Government has endorsed the environmental objectives of the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity, will the Government inform this Council what active steps will be taken to conserve and protect the habitats and biological diversity in Sha Lo Tung which is generally accepted as a site of unique natural resources?
Reply:
Mr President,
Sha Lo Tung is mainly privately owned. It was a village area until the late 1970's when most of the villagers moved overseas or relocated to the urban areas. Undisturbed since, wildlife and plants colonised the abandoned fields and streams, Most of the species found there are not unique to this site and can also be found in other areas. The valley's ecological value lies mainly in the stream courses which serve as the habitats of a diverse dragonfly community. The Agriculture and Fisheries Department (AFD) has been working on a proposal to designate these stream courses as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
The Sha Lo Tung Valley is the site of a proposed development. As required of all major development proposals in Hong Kong, the proposal in Sha Lo Tung is subject to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures. It will not be allowed to proceed until and unless the EIA is completed and all environmental concerns - including the protection of the stream courses have been satisfactorily
addressed.
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We will continue to monitor the situation at Sha Lo Tung. The Water Supplies Department takes water samples regularly from the stream courses and has found no pollution. AFD has found no evidence of any species protected under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance being affected by the villagers' recent earthwork. The earthwork has stopped since government departments, led by the Planning, Environment and Lands Branch, met the villagers on 28 June 1995.
End/Wednesday, July 26, 1995