【San Tin EIA misidentified bird species?】

The EIA report for the San Tin Technopole was released before the Lunar New Year holiday (2/2), and the 30-day statutory consultation period is now coming to an end with 10 more days to go. We spotted a few apparent errors in the ecological impact assessment (EcoIA) of the EIA report. In Appendix 10.2 of the EcoIA, some of the bird photographs and the corresponding names do not match.

(1) The photo of Wood Sandpiper is written as Marsh Sandpiper.
(2) The photo of Long-toed Stint is labelled as Little Stint.
(3) The photo annotated Crested Goshawk, despite the limited image quality, is believed to be another small raptor species within the Accipiter family instead of Crested Goshawk.

Although we are not sure whether these errors are due to "typo " or "misidentification of birds", given that birds are important species and indicators for the conservation of the Deep Bay wetlands, while the EIA report is a professional and legally binding document, we are surprised by such mistakes. This may not only leads to underestimation of the impact of development on the ecological environment and wildlife, but also affects the credibility of the report, raising doubts about the "seriousness" of the impact assessment of the San Tin Technopole.

Deep Bay wetland is the most intact coastal wetland system remaining in the Greater Bay Area, and it should be treated with great care. We hope the relevant authorities and the Advisory Council on the Environment (ACE) would rigorously review the EIA report, ensuring that it provides accurate, reliable, and comprehensive ecological baseline data, so as to enable a comprehensive evaluation of potential environmental impacts and to prevent irreversible damage to the wetland system caused by any developments.

The public consultation on the EIA report for the San Tin Technopole has started. Please seize the final opportunity and submit your comments via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or online: https://shorturl.at/elAZ8 before 2 March 2024

• EIA report for the San Tin Technopole: https://shorturl.at/lotxB
• "Protect Our Fishpond Wetlands" website: https://shorturl.at/elAZ8