A sea of 500 tents covered the white sands of remote Ham Tin Wan in Sai Kung during a recent holiday, turning one of Hong Kong’s most scenic beaches into a makeshift campsite for crowds of overnight visitors. Some of the campers had joined tours from mainland China for the Labour Day “golden week” holiday,…
A planned marine park in waters surrounding Sharp Island in Sai Kung will cover most coral reefs, Hong Kong authorities have said, allaying a green group’s concerns about insufficient protection of ecologically sensitive areas. Janet Lee Ka-wai, senior marine conservation officer at the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, also said on Wednesday that underwater mapping…
Four of the 29 whales, dolphins and porpoises that washed ashore in Hong Kong waters last year are suspected to have died from human activity, with an annual report jointly released by the government and Ocean Park also finding an overall decline in strandings. A press statement with the findings was published on Tuesday for…
Visiting the popular Po Pin Chau trail in Hong Kong’s geopark will require real-name reservations under a pilot scheme aimed at preventing scalping and no-shows, officials have told lawmakers concerned about its effectiveness. Undersecretary for Environment and Ecology Diane Wong Shuk-han told the Legislative Council subcommittee on ecology and tourism on Monday that authorities would…
Authorities are considering a pilot booking system for one of Hong Kong’s most popular hiking routes and creating a new marine park at Sharp Island in Sai Kung, following bigger-than-expected crowds during mainland Chinese holidays. The proposals were outlined in a paper submitted to a Legislative Council ecology and tourism subcommittee ahead of a meeting…
Hong Kong authorities have stepped up inspections of dog licences by launching regular enforcement operations and random checks on pets in public places, warning they will prosecute owners who breach relevant rules. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said officers would commence such operations on Monday at public places where dogs gathered and appealed…
In February, a landmark study in the journal Science delivered rare good news for conservation: a five-year fishing ban in the Yangtze River had halted seven decades of biodiversity near-collapse. Fish biomass has surged, and the critically endangered finless porpoise has begun to rebound. Researchers showed that sustained, collective action can revive an ecosystem. The…
Hong Kong customs has arrested a woman on suspicion of illegally importing seven animals worth around HK$4,300 (HK$549) including a sugar glider and a chinchilla, into the city. A spokesman for the Customs and Excise Department said on Sunday that officers intercepted a 46-year-old passenger at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line checkpoint the day…
A tourist has shared photos of herself holding a MacLehose Trail sign apparently removed from its metal stand during the Labour Day “golden week” holiday, drawing criticism from Hong Kong internet users. In one of two photos posted on her RedNote account, “2 star”, on Monday, the woman is seen holding the wooden panel, with…
Hong Kong should adopt a top-down, comprehensive ecotourism policy to safeguard the city’s natural attractions, with a designated authority taking the lead, experts have urged, after a surge in Labour Day “Golden Week” visitors overwhelmed ecologically sensitive spots. The call on Monday came after a viral video showed a Mandarin-speaking tourist smoking a cigarette in…