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GR 500
IMMEDIATE
CYPHER/CAT A
FM HONG KONG 120350Z
RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY No. 50
14 M 1975
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TO
TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 351 OF 12 APRIL.
YOUR TELNO 271 OF 10 APRIL.
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GOVERNMENT APPROVAL IN PRINCIPLE HAS ALREADY BEEN GIVEN FOR THE TAI SHANG WAI SCHEME TO PROCEED. THE SCHEME IS FOR AN ESTATE CONTAINING GARDEN HOUSES AND COVERING 280 ACRES. THE ESTATE WOULD, WHEN COMPLETE HOUSE ABOUT 25,000. THE AREA IS NEXT TO, BUT OUTSIDE THE MAI PO MARSHES AREA. THE DEVELOPER IS A LOCALLY REGISTERED COMPANY, CANADIAN OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LIMITED, WHICH IS BACKED BY THE ROYAL BANK OF CANADA.
2. ICPB'S LETTER OF 22ND NOVEMBER TO THE GOVERNOR WAS ANSWERED ON 27TH NOVEMBER BY SAYING THAT ITS CONTENTS HAD BEEN NOTED. A FURTHER LETTER OF 2ND APRIL, 1975, FROM ICBP, INFORMING THE GOVERNMENT OF AN ICBP RESOLUTION REGRETTING THE PROPOSAL TO PERMIT HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ADJACENT TO THE MARSHES, AND URGING THE GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE THAT NO FURTHER DETERIORATION OF THE MARSHES TAKES PLACE, HAS JUST BEEN RECEIVED.
3. THE MAI PO MARSHES COMPRISE ABOUT 1.6 SQUARE MILES OF MARSH LAND, ADJACENT TO ESTUARIAL MUD-FLATS. THE BIRDS OF GREATEST INTEREST TO ORNITHOLOGISTS ARE WADERS, WHICH GO OUT ON THE FLATS AT LOW TIDE AND RETREAT TO THE MARSHES AT HIGH TIDE. THERE ARE SEVERAL SIMILAR AREAS IN THE EAST RIVER ESTUARY, THOUGH THESE ARE NOT NOW ACCESSIBLE TO NON-CHINESE ORNITHOLOGISTS.
4. THE MA PO MARSH AREA IS IN PRIVATE OWNERSHIP. MUCH OF IT HAS BEEN RECENTLY EXCAVATED FOR FISH-PONDS, SO REDUCING THE AREA USABLE BY WADERS. ALTHOUGH HUNTING OF BIRDS IS PROHIBITED IN THE AREA, ITS ORNITHOLOGICAL INTEREST IS BEING GRADUALLY REDUCED. UNLESS THE LAND IN THE AREA IS ACQUINED BY LUCAL ORNITHOLOGISTS, THE DECLARATION OF THE MARSH AREA AS A NATURE RESERVE WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY LEAD
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