WWF presents "Safeguard Our Countryside" Photo Exhibition Reveals many lesser-known cases of environmental destruction in Hong Kong

WWF launched the “Save the Tai Long Sai Wan” online petition on 22 July. In the past week, more than 6,000 people have signed the petition to express their concern about the Tai Long Sai Wan incident, and demand a holistic conservation policy from the Office of the Chief Executive, the Environment Bureau, the Development Bureau, and the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department.
 
In the exhibition, a giant display “A Wall of Destruction 2006 - 2010” jointly presented by 10 green groups, is exhibited. It shows 49 cases of environmental destruction that the local environmental groups have found from 2006 to 2010. (See Annex I)
 
WWF-Hong Kong’s Conservation Manager (Terrestrial) Dr. Alan Leung Sze Lun said, “About 40 percent of Hong Kong’s land is within the boundaries of country parks, but they are not effectively protected, especially ecological hotspots within private land. We hope that through this exhibition, we can demonstrate the loopholes in the government’s current policy and legislation, and we encourage citizens join us in being watchdogs for the environment.”
 
The “Safeguard Our Countryside” photo exhibition demonstrates many cases of environmental destruction, which occurred in places such as Tai Long Sai Wan in Sai Kung, North Pun, Tin Fu Tsai at Tai Lam, Mui Tsz Lam at Ma On Shan, and North Luk Keng (See Annex II). These environmental cases fall mainly in the following categories:
 
1.      Private land surrounded by or adjacent to country parks, but without the planning control of the Development Permission Area (DPA) Plan under the Town Planning Ordinance;
2.      Private land within country parks;
3.      Private land under Outline Zoning Plan, but not previously covered by DPA Plan under  the Town Planning Ordinance; and
4.      Private land under planning control. However, penalties given to offenders were too light, therefore failing to effectively stop activities that damage the environment.
 
Dr. Alan Leung added: “In order to prevent history from repeating itself, the government should offer land use zoning protection on all lands of high conservation and landscape value. The series of cases also highlight the urgency of reviewing the existing policy and legislation. If action is not taken soon to prevent environmental destruction, it will be too late”.
 
 “Safeguard Our Countryside” photo exhibition details:

Date	Venue
31 Jul to 1 Aug, 2010	C001, 1/F,Central Star Ferry Pier 7
2 Aug to 18 Aug, 2010	C001, 1/F, & Waiting Concourse, Central Star Ferry Pier 7

“A Wall of Destruction 2006-2010” was produced by WWF, the Conservancy Assocation, Designing Hong Kong Limited, Friends of Tai Long Wan, Green Power, Association for Geoconservation Hong Kong, Green Lantau Association, Friends of Sai Kung, Friends of the Earth (Hong Kong) and Hong Kong Bird Watching Society.