8.                  FISHERIES impact

 

Introduction

 

8.1              This section of the EIA Report identifies and evaluates the potential impacts on fisheries operations and resources arising from the proposed construction of new slip roads at the San Tin Interchange.  This assessment is based on a review of the relevant literature and makes reference to previous assessments of the area. It also incorporates data from field visits, which were conducted to supplement and update existing data from previous assessments.

 

Environmental Legislation, Standards and Guidelines

 

8.2              Evaluation of fisheries impacts was conducted in accordance with guidelines set out in the EIAO TM. These guidelines provide for the complete and objective identification, prediction and evaluation of potential fisheries impacts. Annex 9 of the Technical Memorandum sets out criteria for evaluating fisheries impact. Annex 17 denotes the guidelines for fisheries impact assessment.

 

8.3              Other legislation that applies to inland aquaculture fisheries includes the Fisheries Protection Ordinance (Cap. 171).  This legislation promotes the conservation of fish and other forms of aquatic life within the waters of Hong Kong and regulates fishing practices to prevent activities detrimental to the fishing industry.

 

Assessment Methodology

 

8.4              The Assessment Area for fisheries impact assessment comprised the area within 500m of the proposed Project boundary.

 

8.5              A desk-top review of baseline environmental conditions as well as fisheries activities and resources inside the Assessment Area was conducted.

 

8.6              Furthermore, the validity of existing data on fisheries resources were checked through field visits in September 2002 and February 2003.

 

Baseline Conditions and Fisheries Sensitive Receivers

 

8.7              The Assessment Area at San Tin is located in the north-west New Territories and is contiguous with an extensive wetland area, mainly formed by fish ponds. This wetland landscape, of which fish ponds inside the Assessment Area form a very small portion, is the main location for the local inland pond culture industry, but is also of major conservation interest because of its importance as a feeding resource for wetland birds (see Section 7).

 

8.8              Fish ponds are man-made fisheries resources and are managed as commercial, profit-driven operations with the expressed aim of rearing high fish yields at low operating costs. According to AFCD data, in 2002, the fish pond culture industry produced 1,989 tonnes of freshwater fish valued at HK$32 million. This compares to 2,550 tonnes of freshwater fish with a value of about HK$41 million in 2001, and 2,817 tonnes of freshwater fish produced in 2000 valued at HK$46 million. Figures showing some recent trends in freshwater fish production and the extent of fish ponds in HKSAR are shown in Table 8.1. These figures indicate a general decline in activity of Hong Kong’s inland aquaculture industry.

 

Table 8.1   AFCD Figures on HKSAR Pond Culture Fisheries

Year

Fish Pond Area (ha)

Freshwater Fish Production (tonnes)

Local consumption supplied

1997

1,125

5,000

12%

1998

1,100

4,900

11%

1999

1,100

4,500

10%

2000

1,060

2,820

6%

2001

1,059

2,550

6%

2002

1,039

1,989

No data

 

8.9              Market forces are the underlying reason for the reduced output by the HKSAR pond culture fishery.  While the demand for freshwater fish remains high, intense competition from across the border has reduced the local market price of fish. The Hong Kong market is dominated by freshwater fish from Mainland China where operating costs are  lower.

 

8.10          In general, fish ponds in the San Tin area remain active. In the active fish ponds at San Tin, aquaculturists were rearing multiple species of carp in the same pond at the same time, in a practice known as carp polyculture. Species commonly reared in San Tin fish ponds were Big Head Carp (Aristichthys nobilis), Mud Carp (Cirrhinus molitorella), Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus), Grey Mullet (Mugil cephalus) and Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio). Previously, Snakehead (Ophiocepalus maculates) and Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) were also reared by some aquaculturists at San Tin but these were said to be no longer profitable.  Tilapia, however still occur in fish ponds but are considered to be non-commercial ‘trash’ fish together with Mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis) and shrimp (Macrobrachium nipponense).

 

8.11          Within the Assessment Area itself, there was very little fish pond area. None of the fish ponds present are located along or immediately next to the slip roads’ alignment. The location and extent of fish ponds in the Assessment Area is included in the habitat map presented in Figure 7.1. Representative photographs of fish ponds are provided in Appendix 7A.

 

8.12          Active fish ponds are considered to be fisheries sensitive receivers.  The closest fish pond area of only 0.4 ha occurs north of the San Tin Interchange roundabout at Chau Tau, approximately 140m from the nearest works boundary. This small area of active fish pond however lies on the KCRC’s Lok Ma Chau Spur Line works alignment.  The next closest fish ponds from the works boundary within the Assessment Area were located about 175m away.  These fish ponds occur to the north of the Lok Ma Chau kiosk and the existing VHA.  The farthest active fish ponds are located 400m from the site boundary, adjacent to the San Tin Highway at the south west of the Assessment Area and are small in size (approximately 0.2 ha).  In all, there is a total of approximately 1 ha of active fish pond in the Assessment Area and no abandoned fish pond.

 

Identification of Environmental Impacts

 

            Construction Phase

 

8.13          The potential impacts to pond aquaculture fisheries resources and operations resulting from construction of the Project may include direct loss of fish pond.  Indirect impacts may arise due to site run-off causing impacts to water quality inside fish ponds.

 

Operational Phase

 

8.14          No operational impacts to aquaculture fisheries resources or operations due to proposed improvements to the San Tin Interchange are anticipated.

 

Evaluation of Impacts

 

Construction Phase

 

8.15          The proposed construction works would occur on disturbed/developed previously formed land and would not cause direct loss of existing fish ponds.

 

8.16          No indirect impact on water quality within fish ponds due to construction site run-off was anticipated.  Fish ponds are sufficiently distant from the works boundary that impacts would not occur.  But in any case, fish ponds would not be in the drainage catchment for run-off leaving works areas. Moreover, site-off would be controlled through mitigation and good site practice as discussed in Section 5, and would not give rise to unacceptable water quality impacts.

 

Operational Phase

 

8.17          There are no operational impacts to aquaculture fisheries resources or operations due to the proposed Project.

 

Mitigation Measures

 

8.18          According to guidelines presented in the EIAO TM on fisheries impact assessment, mitigation measures should include, in order of priority, avoidance, minimisation and compensation.

 

8.19          Since no adverse impacts to pond aquaculture fisheries resources or operations were predicted, it was considered that fisheries-specific mitigation are not necessary.

 

Environmental Monitoring and Audit

 

8.20          No impacts to pond aquaculture fisheries resources or operations is anticipated as a result of construction or operation activities of the Project. Therefore, a specific programme to assess the effects of the Project on pond aquaculture fisheries resources and operations is deemed unnecessary.

 

References

 

Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (2003) Hong Kong Fisheries. www.afcd.gov.hk/fisheries/fish_e.htm

 

Agreement No. CE 43/96 Main Drainage Channels and Poldered Village Protection Scheme for San Tin, NWNT: Environmental Impact Assessment Study, Final Assessment Report (1999)

 

Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Environmental Impact Assessment, Tunnel/Viaduct Option: Final Report (2001).