 | Conservation News
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| WWF Deep Bay Update |
| Black-faced Spoonbill Census and Ringed Birds |
| Leg-flagged Waders from Taiwan |
| Past Conservation News |
 Conservation News |
Mike Kilburn
Continuing Disturbance from fishermen
Despite increased and highly commendable efforts by AFD staff, HKBWS members have noted continuing illegal human disturbance to the Deep Bay mudflats inside the Ramsar site from fishermen from both Hong Kong and China. The activities of Hong Kong fishermen are a disturbing new development. But the continuing and regular presence of mudskipper collectors from Shenzhen in front of the boardwalk hides shows that despite the best intentions of the cross-border liaison between Hong Kong Police and their Shenzhen counterparts concrete action in controlling access to the closed border area from north of the Shenzhen River has been at best ineffective.
AFD has taken action against them by collecting bird nets and mudskipper traps but has received limited support so far from the Marine Police, with some checking of ID on fishermen noted. Society members have spent time speaking to Border Police, and AFD have contacted Yuen Long District Board, in an attempt to increase the legislative cover for the Ramsar site. There have been promises of further action to apprehend the "fishermen", who are clearly breaking the law - the Wildlife Protection Ordinance Cap. 170 and the legislative amendments to the Fisheries Protection Ordinance Cap. 171 and its Regulations are being made to ban, among others, electric fishing and to increase the maximum fine from $10,000 to $200,000 and a 6 months' imprisonment in order to deter destructive fishing practices. According to AFD this is due to come into effect early in 1999.
It is understood that the supply of a hovercraft to AFD in the spring will greatly assist in the interdiction of illegal mudskipper fishermen who have been difficult to catch in the past. However even with a hovercraft, AFD staff or policemen will still have to actually apprehend the mudskipper collectors. It is hoped that AFD can devise a safe and workable approach to achieve this and the confiscation of trapping equipment.
All of the illegal activities conducted on the mud are commercial in nature - electrode fishing, catching birds and mudskipper collection. Solving this problem hinges on removing the commercial viability of the activity. Only when the various departments can co-operate to achieve this will the SAR government be fulfilling its responsibility to protect the Ramsar site for the globally threatened Dalmatian Pelicans, Saunders' Gulls, Black-faced Spoonbills, and thousands of ducks, gulls, herons and other waterbirds, which are now in residence for the winter.
Members are urged to continue to maintain pressure to find a solution by reporting sightings of illegal fishermen and mudskipper collectors to AFD, the Commissioner of Police and the Security Bureau. If you have a mobile phone calling 999 and reporting the incident is also possible - all calls are logged by law. You can also contact the Border Police Lok Ma Chau Duty Officer at 2482 8200 or their Operations Room at 2679 2600.
Other Disturbance to Deep Bay Ramsar Site
There has been a significant increase in human disturbance to Deep Bay caused by a growing number of visitors, especially during weekends and public holidays. This increase has come about through the success of the HKBWS /Conservancy Association public awareness programme (public access and education is a key element of Ramsar-designated sites). This programme was created to encourage the public to come to Tsim Bei Tsui to appreciate the birds and the scenery of Deep Bay.
Amongst these visitors are local tour operators which organise tours for the public, walking from Tsim Bei Tsui along the border fence to Mong Tseng. Other groups are also visiting Tsim Bei Tsui by coach and many more people are expected to do the same. HKBWS has written to AFD, suggesting several ways to minimise disturbance without restricting access. These include erecting notice boards at the site with do's and don'ts listed, providing special training to tour guides, with emphasis on controlling the behaviour of tour participants, distributing leaflets for visitors and in the longer term erecting simple screens provided with viewing slots at selected locations along the fence road. One obvious place to improve viewing for visitors would be the bridge over Yuen Long Creek, where the double-thickness wire of the fence has made viewing extremely difficult.
Shuen Wan Marsh
Massive dumping has continued at Shuen Wan marsh, which is currently zoned as a "conservation Area'. which belongs to the property developer Wheelock. The soil was excavated at San Mun Tsui by a contractor - Heng Kei. When approached, Heng Kei agreed to excavate and remove the soil from the marsh but a gang of villagers impeded the contractor from doing so.
HKBWS has twice written to the Lands Department advising it of the illegal filling of the marsh. The first letter was answered with a comment that a map HKBWS had supplied showing the extent of the dumping was wrong. A second letter requesting clarification from Lands Department on the site of the dumping was answered over a month after it was written - despite a government pledge to answer all letters within 10 days. More of a concern is that the letter stated that government land was involved in the filling and there remains no sign of government action.
Earlier dumping was halted at this site by swift action from Mr W S Lau, the Chief Town Planner in charge of the Central Enforcement & Prosecution Section, Planning Department. Sadly he seems to be the sole figure working to protect this site in the face of indifference and apathy from other government officials and open opposition from villagers at the site. Further abuses at Shuen Wan should be reported to him as well as HKBWS and WWF who are working together to try to preserve this important site.
Kam Tin
Mixed reports concerning two landowners have emerged at Kam Tin. It appears that KCRC has made a long-term commitment to managing the habitats remaining and created as a result of the West Rail project under its "habitat Creation and Management Plan in Kam Tin".
The Painted Snipe marsh at the same site has remarkably retained its attraction to birds despite its bulldozing. The study planned on the site's Painted Snipe population has been allowed to continue on a one-off basis. However access is still prohibited without express permission of the landowner, Cheung Kong. One wonders why.
Tai Po Kau
Suspected illegal filling of the ponds below Tai Po Kau have been met with a wall of buck-passing apathy by both Planning and Lands Departments. It is known that Master Layout Planning has not been approved, yet filling has continued in to January 99 - damaging the wetland and disturbing the Egrets and Herons which use it as a loafing site. With no government department prepared to take responsibility it appears that this is another site with a bleak future. A written enquiry from the Society to the Lands Department was referred to the Planning Department, who, referred it straight back to Lands with no action taken. The Society is continuing to seek a government official willing to address this issue.
Long Valley
In addition to shooting at Long Valley members have noted people putting up nets to catch birds as they come in to roost at night. It seems that the bird catchers are not farmers from the valley but townspeople from Sheung Shui, who in addition to trying to catch birds are also carelessly damaging crops.
One farmer blamed this crop damage on the birders. While it is believed that birders are not responsible for this damage, members are requested to take care to avoid damaging crops and the bunds between the fields. Long Valley is private land and birders have enjoyed tremendous freedom in accessing this excellent site.
A more serious threat to the site comes from a KCRC application for an environmental impact assessment study brief in connection with a proposed "spur line from Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau". The Society will closely monitor developments planned for the site and work to minimise their impact where possible. With a second river retraining proposal and additional plans for an access road, Long Valley sadly looks set to be carved up into small parcels. It is hoped that essential infrastructure projects can be closely co-ordinated and that the least damaging approach for the valley will be taken.
By the time of publication the plans for a Society survey of the site will be close to completion. Members interested in assisting with this survey work are requested to contact Mike Kilburn at 2580 7802 or email at mkilburn@hkstar.com. This will include both indoor and outdoor training sessions and it is intended that this survey will be relatively simple, allowing members of all levels of experience to participate.
| WWF Deep Bay Update |
By Lew Young
Earthmoving works at Mai Po
With the success of Pond 20 this winter for waterfowl, there has been a tendency for some birdwatchers to walk down the bunds of the pond to look for rare ducks. In view of the disturbance that this may cause to the ducks and other birdwatchers, may we ask everyone not to do this. However, there may be exceptions, such as people carrying out monitoring or research work in those ponds, and they should be especially sensitive to any disturbance they may cause. A good policy would be if you are in doubt, then please don't.
There will be further earthmoving works in Pond 24 this winter and over the coming year to try and develop the southern block of ponds as a large rainfed marsh similar to Pond 20. Keep your fingers crossed!!
Waterfowl Collection
In early January, the Waterfowl Collection was restocked with some 80 captive-bred and pinioned waterfowl from the U.K.. These included Bean Goose, Swan Goose, Common Shelduck, Ruddy Shelduck, Pintail, Shoveler, Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Common Pochard, Gargany and Teal. The aim of this is so that when students and the public visit the reserve in summer, the collection can be used to raise visitors' awareness about the importance of Mai Po for migratory birds, and of waterfowl ecology in general.
All of the ducks are coloured ringed for identification. If eggs are laid by any of the captive birds in the collection, then Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden have kindly agreed to incubate the eggs on the reserve's behalf so that the chicks can be colour ringed and pinioned before being released into the collection.
Gate 107 - The Boardwalk Gate
From October 1998, a new group of Border Police have been patrolling the FCA fence and they will be on duty for 18 months. WWF Hong Kong staff have given briefings about Mai Po to these officers and amongst the topics, was the need to keep the gate to the boardwalk (Gate 107) open from 0600 - 1800 h.. So far, the Border Police have been very helpful and there have been no further problems over the gate.
Illegal fishermen in Deep Bay
Over the past months, numerous complaints have been made by HKBWS members and WWF Hong Kong to the Agriculture and Fisheries Department about the illegal fishermen operating on the Deep Bay mudflats. In response, the AFD Nature Wardens, Marine Police and Border Police have carried out a number of raids on the illegal structures that the fishermen have constructed in the mangroves, and have also removed nets from the mudflats. AFD have ordered a small hovercraft to use in future operations on the mudflat and they hope that the craft will be delivered in Spring. As before, please continue to pass on any observations of illegal fishing activities on the mudflat to AFD by e-mail: afdcon@hkstar.com, fax 2314-2802 or telephone 2471-4411.
[It would be beneficial to contact as many government departments as possible with regard to every incident, so please add AFD to the list - ed.]
| Black-faced Spoonbill Census and Ringed Birds |
Source of Information: Mr Simba Chan, Wild Bird Society of Japan
On December 22nd Hong Kong's wintering Black-faced Spoonbill population reached a new high of 152 birds, and the count from their most important wintering site - the Tsang Wen Estuary in Taiwan was 348 on November 29th. 49 birds were also recorded in Vietnam from two sites before Christmas. While these numbers are encouraging it is thought that Black- faced Spoonbill numbers at wintering sites do not stabilise until late January, and it may be that there is some overlap between the sites. Last year's census recorded a global total of 613 birds. This year's census will be conducted from 29-31 January.
If you live near a wetland site that is known to be a wintering site (or is a potential wintering site) of the Black-faced Spoonbill, please go and look for the birds during the census (preferably all three days). Please spread the news to birdwatchers and researchers that you believe live near a Black-faced Spoonbill wintering site too.
Please report the following information:
- Location of site. An attached sketch map for little-known sites is appreciated.
- Description of the site
- Date and time of census
- Total number of Black-faced Spoonbills counted
- Number of immature Black-faced Spoonbills (if identification in the field possible)
- Any colour bands or transmitter observed. Please record the colour of the bands and on which leg the band(s) is/are placed.
- Name of all members of your team.
This winter in Hong Kong two birds were seen with colour bands from the trapping which was conducted last winter. These are two of the 13 birds captured at Mai Po in February 1998. One bird was harnessed with a PTT (satellite transmitter) in February but the PTT was not seen. This is normal as the attachment is designed to drop off after the battery expires.
Black-faced Spoonbills with colour bands are as follows:
- At Mai Po: All birds have a numbered green band on the right leg and a combination of two-colour bands on the left leg:
Right - Left
A01 : Green upper - Red lower
A02 : Green - Yellow
A03 : Green - Blue
A04 : Green - White
A05 : White - Red
A06 : White - Yellow
A07 : White - Blue
A08 : White - Green
A09 : Red - Yellow
A10 : Red - Blue
A11 : Red - Green
A12 : Red - White
A13 : Yellow - RedA01 and A03 were seen again at Mai Po on 4 November 1998. A01, A06 and A07 were harnessed with PTTs.
This year an additional nine birds and one of last year's birds were caught and ringed in Hong Kong. Eight birds will be fitted with PTTs to continue attempts to track the birds' migration routes and to identify their as yet unknown breeding sites.
- Birds ringed at Tainan, Taiwan All birds have a numbered blue band on the right leg and a combination of two-colour bands on the left leg.
Right - Left
T01 : Blue - Red
T05 : Green - Red
T06 : Green - Yellow
T07 : Green - BlueT01, T06 and T07 were harnessed with PTTs .
- This winter further trapping of Black-faced Spoonbills took place in Taiwan, where four birds were caught, fitted with radio tracking devices and ringed with the following number and colour rings:
Right - Left
T08 : Green-White
T09 : White-Red
T10 : White-Yellow
T11 : White-Blue
Some years ago Prof. Chong Jong-ryol and North Korean ornithologists also put colour bands (One band per bird) on Black-faced Spoonbills bred in North Korea.
Information should be sent to Mr. Tom Dahmer and Ms Mary Felley of Ecosystems Ltd., Hong Kong. ecosys@hk.super.net. Birders in Hong Kong should forward their information to Yu Yat Tung ytyu@hkstar.com, who is studying the winter ecology of Black-faced Spoonbills around the Deep Bay Ramsar site.
| Leg-flagged Waders from Taiwan |
By Wei-Ting Liu
During November, Wei Ting-Liu of Dong Hai University in Taiwan ringed a number of waders with white over blue leg flags on the left leg - the first with Taiwanese flags. These included 25 Kentish Plovers, One Grey Plover, 7 Dunlin and 2 Greenshanks last night by mist net. 8 of the Kentish Plover were fitted with yellow and green darvic rings. Anyone noting any of these birds is requested to contact Mr Liu at the address given below:
Wei-Ting Liu
Department of Environmental Science,
Tunghai University,
Taichung, Taiwan 40704
Phone: 886-4-3590121-3040
Fax: 886-4-3594276
Email:weitingl@tcts1.seed.net.tw
| Past Conservation News |
