Dr. LEE Ka Wai, Janet
Senior Marine Conservation Officer (East)
Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department
(E-mail: janet_kw_lee@afcd.gov.hk)
Ms. SITU Ying Yi, Anna
Marine Conservation Officer/(Education and Monitoring) East 1
Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department
(E-mail: anna_yy_situ@afcd.gov.hk)
Ms. YEUNG Yip Hung, Yolanda
Marine Conservation Officer/(Management) East 1
Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department
(E-mail: yolanda_yh_yeung@afcd.gov.hk)
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) submitted the proposal to the Country and Marine Parks Board to designate a 63-hectare area in Sharp Island West and East as the Sharp Island Marine Park. Green Power would like to draw your kind attention to our views on the Proposal to Designate the Sharp Island Marine Park.
General Comments
1. Green Power supports the designation of the proposed Sharp Island Marine Park.
2. Sharp Island hosts some of Hong Kong’s densest coral communities with a vibrant reef-associated fish population. It is also part of the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark for its unique geomorphological features including a tombolo and “Pineapple Bun Rock”.
3. However, intense tourist surges and improper recreational behaviors place immense stress on the marine ecosystem. Statutory designation is essential to protect, restore, and enhance marine life while regulating recreational use.
Marine Park Boundary
4. We support the proposed Marine Park boundary at the current stage, as it encompasses the highest-density coral communities in both East and West Sharp Island.
5. However, we are concerned that the current boundary does not align seamlessly with the existing Kiu Tsui Country Park and the adjacent Sharp Island Special Area to encompass the entire island coastline. Omitting these segments risks merely shifting damaging activities and recreational pressure to unprotected nearshore areas—including major tourist beaches like Kiu Tsui Beach and Hap Mun Bay Beach.
6. Therefore, we strongly recommend extending the Marine Park boundary to protect the nearshore habitats along the entire coastline of Sharp Island.
7. Alternatively, if boundary expansion is constrained, the department should deploy smart monitoring facilities, including high-definition CCTV surveillance, to actively deter and detect illegal activities in these vulnerable adjacent zones.
Management Plan
8. A total ban on commercial and recreational fishing across the entire park area should be enforced to eliminate harvesting pressure and safeguard reef biodiversity.
9. Given that coral communities around Sharp Island—particularly along the western shoreline—are shallow, exceptionally dense, and vulnerable to physical damage, recreational entry and exit should be strictly prohibited especially in low-tide conditions to prevent fin strikes and trampling in these highly sensitive zones.
10. To eliminate collision hazards for divers and snorkelers—a mechanized vessel exclusion zone should be enforced along vulnerable nearshore coastal areas.
11. Adequate mooring sites and mooring buoys should be deployed in offshore, non-sensitive waters to accommodate commercial watercraft and recreational vessels safely to avoid anchor damage to reefs.
12. A dynamic carrying capacity and an adaptive management framework should be established to temporarily restrict access to specific shallow reefs or adjust daily vessel entry limits whenever ecological thresholds are exceeded.
13. Clear signage and regular patrolling should be established on both sides (the eastern and western sectors) of the proposed Marine Park. Effective public education and community engagement should be promoted regularly, especially during commencement.
Other Recommendations
14. As new Marine Parks have been established in these few years, we urge the government and the Environment and Ecology Bureau to allocate additional financial and personnel resources to support both the establishment and long-term operation of the future Sharp Island Marine Park.
15. We strongly commend the department's prompt action on this proposal and look forward to seeing these conservation efforts expanded to encompass the entire Inner Port Shelter area. Broadening statutory marine protection across Port Shelter is vital to establishing a truly resilient, interconnected marine reserve network.
Thank you very much for your kind attention.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) submitted the proposal to the Country and Marine Parks Board to designate a 63-hectare area in Sharp Island West and East as the Sharp Island Marine Park. Green Power would like to draw your kind attention to our views on the Proposal to Designate the Sharp Island Marine Park.
General Comments
1. Green Power supports the designation of the proposed Sharp Island Marine Park.
2. Sharp Island hosts some of Hong Kong’s densest coral communities with a vibrant reef-associated fish population. It is also part of the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark for its unique geomorphological features including a tombolo and “Pineapple Bun Rock”.
3. However, intense tourist surges and improper recreational behaviors place immense stress on the marine ecosystem. Statutory designation is essential to protect, restore, and enhance marine life while regulating recreational use.
Marine Park Boundary
4. We support the proposed Marine Park boundary at the current stage, as it encompasses the highest-density coral communities in both East and West Sharp Island.
5. However, we are concerned that the current boundary does not align seamlessly with the existing Kiu Tsui Country Park and the adjacent Sharp Island Special Area to encompass the entire island coastline. Omitting these segments risks merely shifting damaging activities and recreational pressure to unprotected nearshore areas—including major tourist beaches like Kiu Tsui Beach and Hap Mun Bay Beach.
6. Therefore, we strongly recommend extending the Marine Park boundary to protect the nearshore habitats along the entire coastline of Sharp Island.
7. Alternatively, if boundary expansion is constrained, the department should deploy smart monitoring facilities, including high-definition CCTV surveillance, to actively deter and detect illegal activities in these vulnerable adjacent zones.
Management Plan
8. A total ban on commercial and recreational fishing across the entire park area should be enforced to eliminate harvesting pressure and safeguard reef biodiversity.
9. Given that coral communities around Sharp Island—particularly along the western shoreline—are shallow, exceptionally dense, and vulnerable to physical damage, recreational entry and exit should be strictly prohibited especially in low-tide conditions to prevent fin strikes and trampling in these highly sensitive zones.
10. To eliminate collision hazards for divers and snorkelers—a mechanized vessel exclusion zone should be enforced along vulnerable nearshore coastal areas.
11. Adequate mooring sites and mooring buoys should be deployed in offshore, non-sensitive waters to accommodate commercial watercraft and recreational vessels safely to avoid anchor damage to reefs.
12. A dynamic carrying capacity and an adaptive management framework should be established to temporarily restrict access to specific shallow reefs or adjust daily vessel entry limits whenever ecological thresholds are exceeded.
13. Clear signage and regular patrolling should be established on both sides (the eastern and western sectors) of the proposed Marine Park. Effective public education and community engagement should be promoted regularly, especially during commencement.
Other Recommendations
14. As new Marine Parks have been established in these few years, we urge the government and the Environment and Ecology Bureau to allocate additional financial and personnel resources to support both the establishment and long-term operation of the future Sharp Island Marine Park.
15. We strongly commend the department's prompt action on this proposal and look forward to seeing these conservation efforts expanded to encompass the entire Inner Port Shelter area. Broadening statutory marine protection across Port Shelter is vital to establishing a truly resilient, interconnected marine reserve network.
Thank you very much for your kind attention.
Yours faithfully,
Wong Shun Lai, Thomas
Education & Project Officer
Green Power
Yours faithfully,
Wong Shun Lai, Thomas
Education & Project Officer
Green Power
