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The Secretary,
Town Planning Board,
15th Floor,
North Point Government Offices
333 Java Road,
North point,
Hong Kong.
John Horwood,
55A, Ground Floor,
Crestmont Villa,
Discovery Bay,
Lantau Island,
Hong Kong
24th May, 2011.
Objection to Planning Application Y/I-LI/1
Dear Sir,
I wish to lodge an objection to the Planning Application Y/I-LI/1 which
proposes:“To rezone the application site from "Agriculture", "Conservation Area",
"Coastal Protection Area" zones to "Comprehensive Development Area (1)" zone
and to incorporate the part of the seabed at Tung O Wan to the east of the
northern area of the application site which is currently not covered by the Outline
Zoning Plan (OZP) into the OZP and zone it as "Comprehensive Development
Area (1)", in respect of “Various Lots and adjoining Government land in D.D. 7
and D.D.9, Tung O, Lamma Island”.
South Lamma coast - A Natural Environment
South Lamma has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI). It is one of the few places in Hong Kong where natural back-of-the beach
vegetation still flourishes. This includes plants such as Creeping beach vitex
(Vitex trifolia), rattlebox (Croatalaria retusa), beach naupaka (Scaevola sericea),
and screw pine (Pandanus tectorius). In many other parts of Hong Kong this type
of environment has been replaced by concrete and ‘developed’ beaches.
The South Lamma coast, including Shek Pai Wan, Tung O Wan and
Sham Wan, still has a rich marine ecosystem. Evidence for this can be seen on
the beaches where cowrie shells, turban shells, cone shells, top shells, bearded
ark shells, neritas, limpets, welks, stalked barnacles, moon shells can all be
easily found. In the adjacent coastal waters sea urchins, corals, crabs and other
crustacea, numerous fish and various types of seaweed, to name but a few, are
all abundant.
Green Turtles
In addition, Sham Wan beach is the only place in Hong Kong where Green
Turtles (Chelonia mydas) still come come ashore to lay eggs. Coastal
construction, reclamation, breakwaters, coastal lights, increased boat traffic with
the associated water noise are all factors known to actively discourage turtles
from visiting breeding beaches and foraging in the adjacent waters. The ability to
forage in nearby waters is a particularly important element in the Green Turtle’s
choice of breeding sites. Increased nearby boat traffic has been citied as a factor
for decreased visits by turtles to breeding grounds elsewhere in the world. Green
Turtles are listed on the IUNC Red List of Threaten Species as ‘endangered’.
Worldwide green turtle numbers are decreasing.
Rommer’s Treefrog
Lamma Island is one of only four sites where Hong Kong’s endemic frog,
Romer’s Treefrog, is found to occur naturally; the others being Lantau, Po Toi
and Chek Lap Kok. The construction of the new airport in the 1990’s eliminated
one of the frog’s natural habitats. In 1992 an attempt to re-introduce the frog to
other areas in Hong Kong was based on the collection of 230 adults, some eggs
and some tadpoles from Chep Lap Kok. After a breeding program, a total of
1,170 frogs and tadpoles were released in 1993 (3 sites) and in 1994 (8 sites);
six in the new territories and two on Hong Kong Island. Of these sites, only one
has resulted in a viable population, able to expand its territory.
Romer’s Treefrog is listed on the IUNC Red List of Threaten Species as
‘endangered’. It is a small (1.5 -2.5cm in length) forest dwelling species requiring
unpolluted standing or slow flowing water in which to breed. As Hong Kong’s
smallest amphibian, the adults are preyed upon by larger amphibians such as
other species of frogs and by toads. In addition, the tadpoles and eggs are
subject to predation by the introduced mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis), which
appears to be absent on Lamma Island. Lamma, and particularly south Lamma
with it reduced human presence, is an important natural breeding ground for this
endangered frog.
Future Generations
Those of us living today have ‘a duty of care’ to future generations. We
need to leave some of the natural environment more or less intact for those who
come after us. Archeological evidence shows that humans have been visiting the
south Lamma coast, almost continuously, since approximately 4,000 BC, yet the
impact of humans on the area, to date, has been minimal.
The south Lamma coast should not be valued for just the economic
benefits a marina and a housing development can bring. The value of the south
Lamma natural environment and the pleasure it gives to those who visit is also
an ‘economic benefit’; but one that accountants typically find difficult to ‘value’ in
dollar terms.
Hong Kong does not need to use the south Lamma coast to promote
Hong Kong as an Asian Sailing Capital. Nor does Hong Kong need to use the
south Lamma coast as another yacht servicing base for China. The community
vision to make our local waters attractive, vibrant, accessible and symbolic of
Hong Kong must include the natural environment.
Marinas and housing developments are not ‘endangered’ in Hong Kong;
Green Turtles, endemic frogs and natural coastal environments are. The Town
Planning Board is therefore respectfully requested to reject the Y/I-LI/1
Application for the rezoning of south Lamma.
Yours faithfully,
(John Horwood)
[email protected]
Copy sent by post and e-mail.
Romer’s Treefrog (University of Hong Kong photo).