XN000022-1987-01-14 — Page 32

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1987

MR CHAMBERS SAID THERE WERE NUMEROUS REPORTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS COVERING VARIOUS ASPECTS OF CHINA LIGHT AND POWER'S ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF THE PFA LAGOONS. TO PRESENT A FULL PICTURE IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO STUDY AT LEAST 11 DETAILED DOCUMENTS, REPRESENTING A VAST AMOUNT OF MATERIAL.

HOWEVER, HE ADDED THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT HAD PRODUCED A SUMMARY REPORT WHICH CONTAINED THE MAIN FINDINGS OF THE STUDY AND WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ON REQUEST.

DECLINE OF SOUTH CHINA PINES NOT TRAGIC

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THE IMMINENT DECLINE OF THE SOUTH CHINA PINE FROM A SPECIES OF WOOD WORM MIGHT NOT BE AN ENTIRELY TRAGIC EVENT AS IT COULD GIVE WAY TO VEGETATION GROWTH THAT WOULD BE MORE RESISTANT TO FIRE AND PESTS, THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, THE HON DONALD LIAO, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON HENRIETTA IP, MR LIAO SAID: +SOME ONE-MILLION SOUTH CHINA PINES, REPRESENTING ABOUT 70 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL STOCK OF THIS SPECIES IN HONG KONG, HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE PINT-WILT NEMATODE SINCE ITS DISCOVERY IN THE LATE 1970'S+.

HE NOTED THAT ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THE AFFECTED TREES HAVE DIED AND THE REMAINDER WOULD PROBABLY DIE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

+SO FAR, NO EFFECTIVE CHEMICAL OR BIOLOGICAL METHOD OF CONTROLLING THIS PEST HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED, EITHER IN HONG KONG OR ELSEWHERE.

+ THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN TRYING TO LIMIT OR DELAY THE SPREAD OF THE PEST BY CUTTING DOWN AND BURNING THE AFFECTED TREES, HE SAID.

MR LIAO SAID TENS OF THOUSANDS OF TREES HAD BEEN DEALT WITH THIS WAY SINCE 1980.

+THE GRADUAL DECLINE OF THE SOUTH CHINA PINE, WHICH WAS PLANTED AS A PIONEER SPECIES IN THE 1950'S, IS NOT AN ENTIRELY UNWELCOME EVENT SINCE IT WILL HAVE THE EFFECT OF OPENING UP THE FOREST CANOPY AND ENCOURAGING THE GROWTH OF NATIVE BROAD-LEAVED TREES AND SHRUBS, HE SAID.

+ THE ENSUING MIXED BROAD-LEAVED VEGETATION WILL BE MORE RESISTANT TO FIRE AND PEST THAN THE SOUTH CHINA PINE,+ HE ADDED.

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