TNAG-2297-FCO40-3321-Hong-Kong-International-Rights-and-Obligations-(IRO)-Sub-Gro-1991 — Page 174

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MDLIAN 16

POPULATIONS ON APPROPRIATE WETLANDS (ARTICLE 4.4): AND

(E) PROMOTE THE TRAINING OF PERSONNEL COMPETENT IN THE FIELDS OF WETLAND RESEARCH, MANAGEMENT AND WARDENING CARTICLES 4.5).

2. THE CONVENTION FIRST ENTERED INTO FORCE ON SQUARE BRACKETS

BEGIN

SQUARE BRACKETS END. THE UNITED KINGDOM RATIFIED THE CONVENTION ON 5 JANUARY 1976. AND THIS WAS EXTENDED TO HONG KONG ON 10 MAY 1979. THE CONVENTION ENTERED INTO FORCE IN RESPECT OF HONG KONG ON 10 SEPTEMBER 1979 (PLEASE SEE ANNEX B FOR REFERENCE).

BENEFITS

3. THE CONVENTION PROMOTES THE PROPER MANAGEMENT AND WISE USE OF WETLANDS OF INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE THEREBY HELPING TO FOSTER THE CONSERVATION OF WELTANDS AND INCREASE THE WATERFOWL POPULATION. HONG KONG HAS AN IMPORTANT WETLAND: THE MAI PO MARSHES. GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE MAI PO MARSHES MEET THE FOLLOWING SCIENTIFIC CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION UNDER THE

CONVENTION:-

(A) THEY ARE A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A SPECIFIC TYPE OF WETLAND CHARACTERISTIC OF THE REGION AND ARE HONG KONG'S LARGEST REMAINING WETLAND:

(B) THEY SUPPORT MORE THAN 20,000 WATERFOWL INCLUDING AN APPRECIABLE NUMBER OF RARE, VULNERABLE OR ENDANGERED SPECIES:

(C) THE SITE IS OF SPECIAL VALUE FOR A NUMBER OF ENDEMIC ANIMAL

SPECIES:

THE QUESTION OF DESIGNATING MAI PO MARSHES UNDER THE CONVENTION IS UNDER SERIOUS CONSIDERATION.

PROPOSALS

4. SQUARE BRACKETS BEGIN STANDARD PROPOSAL PARAGRAPH SQUARE

BRACKETS END.

ENDS.

FORD

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