XN000022-1993-01-11 — Page 17

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MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 1993

DETAILS OF THE PROPOSALS WILL ВЕ CIRCULATED TO RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS AND THE COUNTRY PARKS BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION, HE ADDED.

THE PUBLIC WILL ALSO BE CONSULTED IN DUE COURSE.

"SUBJECT TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL'S APPROVAL, NEW LEGISLATION WILL BE INTRODUCED TO SET UP A MARINE PARKS AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE FOR THE DESIGNATION, MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF MARINE PARKS AND MARINE RESERVES, AND TO MAKE REGULATIONS FOR THE CONTROL OF ACTIVITIES IN THESE AREAS.

PI

DR LEE POINTED OUT THAT THE DEPARTMENT WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF OFF-SITE ECOLOGICAL MITIGATION MEASURES FOR THE NEW AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK AND OTHER AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME PROJECTS LAST YEAR.

OF

APART FROM A CURRENT ECOLOGICAL STUDY ON THE CONSERVATION THE ROMER'S TREE FROG, THREE OTHER STUDIES FOR THE ENHANCED PROTECTION OF MANGROVE HABITATS, SEAGRASS COMMUNITIES AND FRESHWATER WETLAND HABITATS ARE ALSO BEING PURSUED, HE SAID.

TURNING TO FISHERIES, DR LEE SAID THE DEPARTMENT, WHILE RECOGNISING THE NECESSITY OF MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE TERRITORY, WORKED VERY HARD TO SAFEGUARD THE INTERESTS OF THE FISHING COMMUNITY WHOSE LIVELIHOOD WAS AFFECTED BY THE UNPRECEDENTED LARGE- SCALE DREDGING AND DUMPING ACTIVITIES AT THE FORESHORE AND SEABED.

"TO THIS END.

A FISHERMEN LIAISON GROUP. MEETING, AIMED TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE FISHING COMMUNITY, HAD BEEN SET UP AND CHAIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT. HE SAID.

TO MITIGATE AGAINST THE ADVERSE IMPACT ON THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT, HE SAID THE DEPARTMENT HAD INTENSIFIED ITS EFFORTS IN PURSUING THE DEPLOYMENT OF AN ARTIFICIAL REEF WITH A VIEW TO ENHANCING FISH RESOURCES AND CONSERVING MARINE LIFE.

A FEASIBILITY STUDY ON THE PROJECT, TO BE CONDUCTED IN CAPE D'AGUILAR, WAS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY MID-1996.

ON THE AGRICULTURAL FRONT, OR LEK SAID WHILE THE DEPARTMENT CONTINUED TO DEVELOP THE PRODUCTION OF LOCAL FRESH FOOD, IT HAD ALSO BEEN ACTIVE IN EXPLORING AND PROMOTING ENVIRONMENTALLY ACCEPTABLE FARMING TECHNIQUES LAST YEAR.

APART FROM THE CONTINUND EXPLORATION OF SUITABLE EXOTIC VARIETIES OF HIGH-VALUE VEGETABLES, DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRODUCTION SYSTEMS, INCLUDING SOILLESS CULTURE OR BEING DEVELOPED AND INTRODUCED TO GROWERS, HE SAID.

HYDROPONICS,

ARE

BY

THE

T

PIG-

OTHER ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY MEASURES PURSUED DEPARTMENT LAST YEAR INCLUDED THE PROMOTION OF THE EFFLUENT-FREE ON-LITTER" RAISING METHOD, CONTROLS OVER THE USE OF PESTICIDES THE FURTHER EXPANSION OF THE AGRICULTURAL LAND REHABILITATION SCHEME.

AND

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