Marine

The Problem

Marine Ecosystems on the Brink of Collapse

© Clarus Chu

Since WWII, marine fisheries have been managed with the goal of increasing total annual catch, rather than achieving sustainability. Annual catches from Hong Kong waters probably peaked in the 1970s and have since dropped drastically as stocks have become decimated. The Hong Kong government has taken some measures since the mid 1990s to conserve biodiversity and restore fish stocks such as establishing marine parks and reserves, and an artificial reef programme, but there is little evidence they have been successful in allowing populations of fished species to recover.

As scientists have predicted local waters are not far off ecosystem collapse, which would have a disastrous effect on biodiversity, this is a primary focus area for WWF Hong Kong. We may expand our advocacy work for healthy and sustainable fisheries into South China which faces many of the same pressures, in the future.

Water Pollution

© Clarus Chu

Water pollution has long been an issue in local waters but government has taken action in recent decades, particularly with regard to sewage discharge. This has resulted in an improvement of water quality in southern and eastern waters. However, western waters are getting worse as wastewater from sewage is increasingly diverted and expelled there, and as pollution from the Pearl River increases.

Poor Public Recognition of Marine Conservation Issues

© Adam Minu

WWF Hong Kong has had a focus on marine conservation for the past five years but solid gains have been difficult to achieve, in part due to a lack of public support for marine campaigns. Although the plight of the Chinese white dolphin is well known, other amazing biodiversity such as 1000 marine fish species and 84 hard coral species have been poorly recognized in the public eye. This may be due to the false impression that Hong Kong waters are too heavily impacted already to be worth protecting.