Consultancy Ref.: AFCD/FIS/02/19 Consultancy Service
for Executive
Summary for Establishment of Fish Culture Zone at Wong Chuk Kok Hoi November
2022 |
|
CONTENTS
1.3 Purpose and Objectives of this EIA Study
2....... Objectives and benefits of the project and
consideration of alternatives
2.1 Purpose and Objectives of the Project
2.3 Scenarios With and Without the Project
2.3.1 Without Project Scenario
2.4 Consideration
of Different Development Options
2.4.1 Development Option by Expanding the Existing FCZs
2.4.2 Development Option by Identifying Suitable Sites for
New FCZs
2.4.3 Consideration of the Size and Boundary of the Project
Site
2.5 Fish
Farm Designs to be Adopted at the Proposed FCZ
2.5.1 Consideration of Construction Methods and Sequence
2.6 Summary of Key Environmental Problems Avoided and
Sensitive Areas Protected
2.7 Summary of Alternative Mitigation Measures
2.8 Consideration of Public Concerns
3.2.3 Tentative Implementation Programme
4....... Legislative Requirements, Evaluation Criteria and
Sensitive Receivers
5....... Summary of Environmental Impacts
5.8 Environmental
Monitoring and Audit
List of Tables
Table 2.1 Summary of Benefits
of the Project
Table 2.2 Environmental
Consideration of Fish Farm Designs
Table 5.1 Summary of Environmental Impacts
List of Figures
Figure
1.1 Location Plan for the Establsihment of Fish Culture Zone (FCZ) at Wong
Chuk Kok Hoi
Figure 2.1 Proposed Locations for the Establishment of Fish Culture
Zones
Marine
fish culture has been an important activity for fisheries production in Hong
Kong over decades. Mariculture activities are required to operate under licence in
designated Fish Culture Zones (FCZs) under the Marine Fish Culture Ordinance (MFCO) (Cap. 353). In view of the environmental impact resulting
from mariculture, there has been a moratorium on the issue of new marine fish
culture licences (MFCLs) and licensed raft area extensions in the existing FCZs
since 1990, as well as on the designation of new FCZs, except for a limited
number of forced re-sites necessitated by public works. Given the technical advancement in
mariculture techniques and strengthening of regulatory measures, together with
the changes in the operation of the sector over the years, the environment of
FCZs and marine environment in the vicinity have improved significantly in the
past two decades.
In
2010, the Committee on Sustainable Fisheries (CSF), which was established by
the Government to study the long-term goals, direction
and feasible options for the sustainable development of local fisheries
industry, recommended a review of the moratorium to
facilitate fishermen to switch from capture fisheries to mariculture. Mariculture is considered a practical
alternative for capture fishermen to make a living as their knowledge on marine
environment and fish would be useful in farming marine fish.
To pave the
way for facilitating the sustainable development of the local mariculture
sector, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) proposed
to lift the moratorium by designating new FCZs and issuing new MFCLs. In 2014, the AFCD commissioned a consultancy
study to explore suitable sites as new FCZs on
the basis of a list of social and environmental criteria with
reference to the latest international fish culture practices ([1]). Relevant stakeholders, including Government
bureaux / departments and mariculture representatives, have been consulted to
gauge their views on site selection. The
mariculture sector in general supported the designation of new FCZs and agreed
that the sector should be modernised.
Four locations have been shortlisted as potential sites for the
designation of new FCZs, including Wong Chuk Kok Hoi FCZ, Outer Tap Mun FCZ, Mirs Bay FCZ and Po Toi (Southeast) FCZ. The Chief Executive announced in the 2018
Policy Address that the Government would recommend designating new FCZs at
suitable locations, which would create room for the mariculture sector to grow
further, including allowing capture fishermen to switch to this sustainable
mode of operation, making it possible for the development of newer type of
deep-water mariculture in the open sea, and attracting new entrants.
This
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies one of the proposed FCZ sites, i.e. Wong Chuk Kok Hoi FCZ (hereafter referred to as “the
Project”). The location plan of the
Project is shown in Figure 1.1.
The
Project aims to establish a new FCZ at Wong Chuk Kok Hoi to facilitate the
sustainable development of the local mariculture sector. The scope of the Project includes:
§ Assembly and
anchorage of fish farm structures which are manufactured off-site, including
fish rafts / cages, auxiliary facilities and mooring
system, within the Project site; and
§ Marine fish
culture activities within the Project site regulated under the Marine Fish Culture Ordinance (Cap. 353).
No land-based works, structures and
activities will be involved in the Project.
The
Project is a designated project by virtue of Item M.1(a) of Part I of Schedule
2 of the EIAO, which specifies “A fish culture zone more than 5 ha in
size” and requires an Environmental Permit (EP) under the EIAO for its
construction and operation.
In accordance
with the requirements of Section 5(1)(a) of the EIAO, an application for
an EIA Study Brief for the Project was submitted on 15 October 2019 under EIAO
with a Project Profile (PP) (No. PP-590/2019). An EIA Study Brief (No.ESB-324/2019) for the Project
(hereafter referred to as “the Study Brief”) was issued on 27 November 2019 in
accordance with Section 5(7)(a) of the EIAO.
The
purpose of this EIA study is to provide information on the nature and extent of
environmental impacts arising from the construction and operation of the
Project and associated works that will take place concurrently. This information will contribute to decisions
by the Director of Environmental Protection on:
§ the
overall acceptability of any adverse environmental consequences that are likely
to arise as a result of the Project;
§ the
conditions and requirements for the detailed design, construction
and operation of the Project to mitigate against adverse environmental
consequences wherever practicable; and
§ the
acceptability of residual impacts after the proposed mitigation measures are
implemented.
The
detailed requirements of the EIA Study are set out in Clause 3 of the Study
Brief. As specified in the Study Brief,
this EIA Study has addressed the key environmental issues associated with the
construction and operation of the Project.
This
EIA Report has been produced in accordance with the requirements in the EIA
Study Brief (No. ESB-324/2019) and the Technical
Memorandum on Environmental Impact Assessment Process issued under the EIAO
(EIAO-TM) for the Project, the aim being to obtain an EP under the EIAO. The description of the Project presented in
the EIA Report has been based on the best available information from AFCD that
describes the relevant construction activities, operational details, and
baseline information describing the conditions relating to the Project and its
surrounding environment.
The
Project involves the establishment of a new FCZ at Wong Chuk Kok Hoi for
mariculturists to operate their fish rafts.
The main purpose and objective of the Project is to provide
opportunities to develop a newer type of deep-water mariculture, create room
for the mariculture sector to grow further and attracting new entrants,
potentially allowing capture fishermen to switch to a sustainable mode of
operation.
The
benefits of the Project have been discussed in detail in Section 2.3 of
the EIA Report and are summarised in Table 2.1.
Table 2.1 Summary of Benefits of the Project
Description |
|
Sustainable mariculture development in Hong Kong |
§ Increase
local mariculture production to support local demand for live marine fish,
with a quality, healthy, safe, diversified and stable supply with low carbon footprint; § Provide
an avenue for capture fishermen, who face various operational challenges, to
switch to a sustainable operation mode, which in turn alleviates local
fishing pressure and promotes the conservation and recovery of fisheries
resources and preservation of the marine environment; § Allow
mariculturists of the existing FCZs to consider pursuing modernised and
sustainable modes of operation in the new FCZs, such that the marine
environment of the existing FCZs can improve when the level of mariculture
activities there decreases; § Larger
production scale enabled with technology can allow operating costs to be
optimised, and hence improving cost-efficiency and competitiveness; § Provide
high value-added fisheries products and assists the fisheries sector to seize
the opportunities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and other places; Attract new
entrants and business opportunities to further grow the sector and related
trades organically, also providing employment opportunities. |
Advanced Mariculture Operation in Deeper Waters |
§ More
fish stock can be kept within a larger area of the water column to achieve
optimal stock density and a good mariculture environment; § Sufficient
buffer distance amongst fish cages and between the fish cage and seabed will
be maintained and thus allowing adequate water circulation and prevents the
build-up of organic content and degradation of the nearby marine
environment. Organic content is also
not built up on the seabed and maintenance dredging and sediment removal are
therefore not required for FCZ in deep waters, and the associated water
quality impacts and related ecological and fisheries impacts can be avoided; § Use
of weather-resistant materials of fish cages could reduce general / floating
refuse on the sea; § The
fish cage design could withstand strong waves and surges such that the fish
cages can remain onsite during typhoons with minimal fish loss/ escape and
can effectively reduce impact of fish escape on local ecology and fisheries
and offsite impact as a result of fish cage relocation due to adverse weather; § Only
commercial pellet feed or alternative feed with better feed conversion ratio
will be allowed at the proposed FCZ. This
could effectively reduce organic loading due to feed wastage, and reduce
potential transmission of parasitic and infectious disease which in return
may cause organic loading due to fish carcasses and dead fish arising from
the fish culture operation; § Use
of green technology and automation could reduce feed wastage and physical
labour, as well as reduce emissions (e.g. from
diesel generators for electricity generation), wastes and water quality
impacts; § Fish
farm structures have the potential to provide artificial substrates
beneficial to the marine habitat. |
In
the absence of new FCZs, the fisheries sector would need to rely on existing
FCZs to provide grounds for mariculture development. Consequently the
industry would have limited capacity to make use of advanced, and most
importantly more environmentally friendly, mariculture technologies which work
best in deeper waters and have limited potential and cost-efficiency to be
adopted in the existing FCZs mostly in shallow waters. Even though some elements of the mariculture
operations could be modernised and improved, e.g. use of more weather resistant
and durable materials, renewables energy and technology, better quality of fish
feed etc., there is little room to enhance the mariculture environment and production
in the existing FCZs given the lack of incentives from the existing
family-based, small-scale operations, and the reluctance of new entrants to
invest in mariculture in these existing FCZs which is once perceived as
environmentally constrained and financially risky. These existing FCZs operating as status quo
are not suitable for the sustainable development of mariculture in Hong
Kong. Without new mariculture sites and
methods, it will be challenging for mariculturists to invest and diversify, mariculture
production will continue to decline in quality and quantity with reference to
the production trend of previous years, fishermen’s livelihood will be
adversely affected, and the development of the fisheries sector will be halted.
The proposed FCZ
at Wong Chuk Kok Hoi is one of the measures that support the sustainable development of
mariculture in Hong Kong through the designation of new FCZs. With the Project in place, the environmental
benefits associated with the sustainable development of mariculture and the use
of advanced mariculture operation (Table 2.1) can be realised. Ultimately, in line with the long-term goals
developed by the Committee on Sustainable Fisheries that AFCD set up in late
December 2006, the establishment of new FCZs can contribute to the sustainable
management of marine resources and preservation of the marine environment for
our society to enjoy, while providing a supply of fresh
and quality fisheries products to local consumers, and creating job
opportunities to the fisheries sector and related trades such that fishermen
and fish farmers can achieve self-reliance and maintain their livelihoods in
the changing business operating environment.
The
development option by expanding the existing FCZs was explored. Given most of the existing FCZs are located in inshore areas with shallow water depths,
these locations are not feasible to support the more advanced type of
deep-water mariculture in line with the global practice. In addition, there exists other development
constraints around the existing FCZs, such as existing marine usage, ecological
sensitive receivers, etc. Sediment
removal may also be required periodically to maintain a suitable environment
for mariculture. As such, the
environmental impacts are likely to be more detrimental for FCZs in inshore
areas with shallow water depths. This
will limit the potential for developing sustainable mariculture and promoting the modernisation and competitiveness
of the fisheries industry. Therefore, expansion of existing FCZs is not
a feasible development option for the Project.
The
criteria for the site selection of sustainable mariculture were reviewed with
reference to international guidelines (e.g. the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO)), which include minimum water depth, wave
exposure, water quality, the compatibility with the existing usage and
environment, accessibility and infrastructure and site security.
A
site search was conducted to identify suitable locations in Hong Kong waters
for the development of new FCZs considering the site selection criteria and
this is discussed in Section 2.5.1.2 of the EIA Report. Incompatible areas
with absolute constraints were excluded, while the compatible areas for a
suitable location were considered taking into account
environmental, physical and operational constraints. As western Hong Kong waters are under
the influence of freshwater discharges from the Pearl River Estuary, eastern
Hong Kong waters are preferred when identifying suitable sites for new
FCZs. The most suitable areas for FCZ
development were then identified based on avoidance of encroachment onto
environmentally sensitive areas, selection of site with better water flushing
rate, and operational consideration such as accessibility and availability of
pre-existing infrastructure. Four sites,
namely Wong Chuk Kok Hoi, Outer Tap Mun, Mirs Bay, Po
Toi (Southeast) (Figure 2.1),
are selected for the establishment of new FCZs based on the site selection
criteria and views from stakeholders.
These sites avoid the encroachment to areas with ecologically important
habitats, such as marine parks / reserve, coral habitats with high ecological
value, key marine mammal habitats, wintering and nesting grounds for birds, mangroves and horseshoe crab habitats. The identified sites are also relatively
remote, which minimise impacts on air quality, noise
and visual sensitive receivers.
The Project site boundary has been designed taking
into account the environmental, physical and operational
constraints. The Project has been sized
to provide sufficient capacity for sustainable mariculture activities, without
compromising the existing surrounding environment.
For instance, the options between the establishment of a single larger
FCZ and smaller FCZ at different locations have been considered. While the
establishment of a single larger FCZ will concentrate the pollution loading in
a particular area, the establishment of small FCZ at different locations will
reduce the organic loading and therefore minimise the impact to coral
communities and habitat for marine ecological and fisheries resources in the
surrounding waters.
Besides, the extent and boundary of the Project site has also been
optimized with sufficient clearance to minimise the
impacts to coral communities along the coastline, as well as habitats for
marine ecological resources and fisheries resources. Meanwhile, sufficient
clearance to navigation routes has been provided to minimise
the potential risk of fish escape and introduction of invasive species to the
marine environment due to accidents/ collisions of marine vessels with fish
farm facilities. The Project site has also been positioned with a 50 m
clearance between the low water mark and the inshore boundary.
Different
fish farm designs have been considered with regard to
the Project site (see Section 2.6 of the EIA Report) and the
environmental considerations in selecting the preferred fish raft for the
proposed FCZ are summarised in Table 2.2. Overall, traditional fish cages on rafts with fewer environmental benefits are considered not
suitable for the Project site. Four
modern fish rafts with advanced features with various environmental benefits
including floating gravity cage/ submersible gravity cage, integrated
multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) and semi-submersible steel truss cage, are reviewed and considered suitable and preferable for the new
FCZ. While the environmental performance
of the modern fish rafts is generally similar, the type of fish farm/ raft to
be deployed at the proposed FCZ will be subject to the fish farm operational
plan submitted by the future licensees for agreement with AFCD.
Table 2.2 Environmental Consideration of
Fish Farm Designs
Fish Farm Design |
Environmental Consideration |
Traditional Cages on Rafts (Photo
Source: AFCD) |
§ Most
of the traditional rafts are built on-site using timber and supported by
floating units made of empty plastic drums or polystyrene foam floats, which
may lead to waste being released to the sea during the construction; § Not
weather resistant and require frequent maintenance and major repairing, which
result in more waste generation during mariculture operation; § Susceptible
to weather damage, therefore traditional cages have to
be installed at inshore and sheltered waters where maintenance dredging and
sediment removal may be required. |
Advanced Technologies –
Floating Gravity Cage / Submersible Gravity Cage (Photo
Source: Polarcirkel Plastic Cage, Qingdao Qihang Fishing Cage Co., LTD) |
§ Fish
farm components are prefabricated offsite which reduces on-site construction
activities and waste generation and hence minimising potential impact to the
surrounding environment; § Use
of technology (e.g. real-time surveillance and water
quality monitoring, renewable energy sources such as solar and wind) and
automation (e.g. fish feeder) can reduce labour intensive activities, hence
reduce potential disturbance to ecology and environment from feed wastage,
workforce wastes, vessel trips, etc.; § Cages
made of weather-resistant materials such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE)
and steel truss cages are more durable and of good quality, with less waste
generation from damage or repair; § Submersible/
semi-submersible fish cages are designed to endure adverse weather
conditions. Fish loss/ escape due to
cage/raft damage can therefore be minimised and potential impact of
introduction of invasive species on local ecology and fisheries could be
reduced. Besides, the need for
temporary relocation of fish raft due to adverse weather is also reduced and
therefore reducing the associated potential impact; § Separation
distance between fish rafts / cages and between the cage bottom and seabed
would be maintained to allow adequate water flow in between and reduce
impacts on water quality such as changes in flow regime and build-up of
organic content, reducing the subsequent ecological and fisheries impacts in
the vicinity and degradation of the nearby marine environment;
§ Since
organic content is not built up on the seabed, maintenance dredging and
sediment removal are therefore not required for FCZ in deep waters, and the
associated water quality impacts and related ecological and fisheries impacts
can be avoided; and § Fish
farm structures have the potential to provide artificial substrates for
marine organisms to colonise and build diverse and functional habitats. |
Advanced Technology –
Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) |
|
Advanced Technology –
Semi-submersible Steel Truss Cage (Photo
Source: AFCD) |
With
the use of advanced mariculture technologies, a majority of the framework of
the fish cages will be prefabricated off-site, and then tow the fish farm
framework to the Project site for assembly and anchorage. It is in fact unlikely that this more
advanced type of deep-water mariculture can be completely assembled from raw
materials on-site and there is no alternative construction method. Prefabrication work off-site can minimize the
construction duration on-site and hence reducing the duration when potential
impacts to the environment can occur. It is expected to avoid generation of
construction and demolition (C&D) materials and potential water quality
impact from construction site run-off during the construction of the
Project. Generation of underwater sound
is minimised in this method, with less disturbance to marine and fisheries
habitats. Also, less labour input required
on site would result in reduction of waste generated from human activities.
A summary of the key environmental
problems avoided with the environmentally friendly options and recommended
environmental designs of the Project have been discussed in Section 11.3 and
Section 11.4 of the EIA Report and the summary is provided in Table 2.3.
Table 2.3 Key Environmental Problems Avoided, Sensitive Areas Protected and
Environmental Outcomes Achieved
Design
Approach |
Key
Environmental Problems Avoided, Sensitive Areas Protected and Environmental
Outcomes Achieved |
Migration to environmentally friendly modernised
mariculture |
§ Adverse
impacts from mariculture activities to water quality, marine ecology, fisheries and waste management would be avoided. |
Site selection to avoid encroachment onto environmental sensitive
areas |
§ Direct
impact from anchorage, assembly and operation of FCZ to marine ecological
resources such as artificial reefs, coastal protection area are avoided. § Adverse
impacts to marine ecology and fisheries due to encroachment onto
environmental sensitive areas would be avoided. |
Site sitting at deeper waters to avoid organic accumulation
and the need of sediment removal |
§ Adverse
impacts from maintenance dredging and sediment removal works to water
quality, marine ecology and fisheries would be avoided. |
Control maximum
standing stock level |
§ Adverse
impacts from mariculture activities to water quality, marine ecology and
fisheries would be avoided. |
Adopt modern
prefabricated fish culture raft |
§ Adverse
impacts from on-site construction to water quality, marine ecology, fisheries and waste management would be avoided. |
Adopt modern fish farm designs and advanced
mariculture technologies |
§ Adverse
impacts from mariculture activities to water quality, marine ecology, fisheries and waste management would be avoided. |
Adopt fish farm designs and layout to maintain
adequate water flushing |
§ Adverse
impacts from mariculture activities to water quality, marine ecology, fisheries and waste management would be avoided. |
Viable
sites of the Project have been considered during the Project’s Feasibility
Study, based on the environmental benefits and dis-benefits for the
construction and operation of the new FCZs.
Various development options are reviewed and considered in the EIA study.
The environmental benefits and dis-benefits of the development options are
summarised in Table 2.4.
Wong Chuk Kok Hoi is one of the proposed sites which met the selection
criteria for new FCZs and is sited to avoid encroaching sensitive receivers (e.g. ecologically important habitats, areas of high fisheries
importance). To further minimise potential impacts, the Project site will adopt
modernized and advanced type of aquaculture technologies and operate within the
maximum standing stock as
identified in this EIA study.
Table 2.4 Summary
of Environmental Benefits and Dis-benefits of the Development Options and
Alternative Mitigation Measures Considered for the Project
Benefits |
Dis-benefits |
|
Project Siting |
||
Preferred
Option Site selection of
sustainable mariculture with reference to international guidelines, which
include minimum water depth, wave exposure, water quality and the
compatibility with the existing usage and environment |
§ Avoid
encroaching into ecological sensitive receivers e.g.
marine reserves, coral habitats of high ecological value and areas of high
fisheries importance, thus avoid impacts to marine ecology and fisheries § Better
water flushing rate for mariculture to allow adequate water dispersion and
prevent the build-up of organic content and degradation of the nearby marine
environment. Consequently, organic
content is also not built up on the seabed and maintenance dredging and
sediment removal are therefore not required for FCZ in deep waters, and the
associated water quality impacts and related ecological and fisheries impacts
can be avoided § Remote
area at Wong Chuk Kok Hoi minimises impacts on air quality, noise, and visual
sensitive receivers |
§ May
pose potential environmental impacts to newly affected areas. However,
careful site selection and fish farm design have been done to avoid /
minimise potential impacts |
Alternative
Option Expanding existing FCZs |
§ Limit
environmental impacts to areas that are already affected by existing FCZs |
§ Development
constrained by existing marine usage and nearby ecological sensitive
receivers. Water flushing rate is generally lower due to inshore and shallow
waters of the existing FCZs. Impacts
to water quality, including restricted dispersion and accumulation of organic
loading due to FCZ operation, are likely to occur when more mariculture
production is necessary to support the development of mariculture in Hong
Kong. § Sediment
removal may be required periodically to maintain a suitable environment for
mariculture. The environmental impacts
are likely to be more detrimental for FCZs in inshore areas with shallow
water depths. Alternative mitigation
measures such as deployment of silt curtain and control of dredging rate, etc
would be required to minimise the water quality and marine ecology impact. |
Project Size / Scale |
||
Preferred
Option Establishment of smaller FCZ at
different locations |
§ Establishment
of smaller FCZs to reduce the organic loading at individual site, to minimise
impact to coral communities and habitat for marine ecological and fisheries
resources. § With
sufficient clearance to navigation routes, accidents / collision of marine
vessels with fish farm facilities, and potential risk of fish escape and
introduction of invasive species to the marine environment can be minimised. |
§ Affect
more areas with potential environmental impacts but better control of impact
intensity to within relevant criteria |
Alternative
Option Establishment of a single larger FCZ |
§ Limit
environmental impacts to single location but with higher intensity |
§ The
pollution loading from mariculture operation will concentrate in a particular
area. The potential impacts to water quality, marine ecology and fisheries of
the surrounding waters are expected to increase. |
Fish Farm Layout and Design |
||
Preferred
Option Use of
advanced mariculture fish farm designs (e.g. HDPE
cages, steel stuss cages) |
§ Durable
and weather-resistant material would less likely to
get damaged or repaired and result in less waste generated. § Less
susceptible to damage during adverse weather condition, such as typhoons, and
minimise potential risk of fish loss / escape, and subsequent impact on local
ecology and fisheries; and also minimise impact due
to fish cage relocation. § Adequate
water flow and dispersion of organic content between cages / rafts, and along
the water column is allowed. Adequate
clearance from seabed will also be maintained. Water quality impacts such as changes in
flow regime and build-up of organic content are minimised. Subsequent ecological and fisheries impacts
in the vicinity and degradation of the nearby marine environment could be
reduced. The need for maintenance dredging and
sediment removal during construction and operation of the Project is also
avoided. § Use
of green technology and automation could reduce feed wastage and physical
labour,
hence reduce potential disturbance to water quality, ecology and environment
from feed wastage, workforce wastes, vessel trips, etc. |
§ Higher
setup cost |
Alternative
option Use of traditional fish farm designs (e.g. made of timber supported by floating units made of empty plastic drums or polystyrofoam floats) |
§ Lower
setup cost |
§ Non-weather
resistant materials and easy to get damaged or repaired. More wastes are expected to be generated. § Susceptible
to damage from adverse weather conditions such as typhoons. Potential risk of fish loss / escape is higher,
and subsequent impact on local ecology and fisheries; and
also impact due to fish cage relocation would increase. § Potential
impact on water flow and dispersion of organic content between cages / rafts,
and along the water column might be present, and result in the build-up of
organic content on seabed. Maintenance dredging and sediment
removal may be required periodically and water
quality impacts would arise. Subsequent ecological and fisheries
impacts in the vicinity and degradation of the nearby marine environment
would also increase. Other mitigation
measures will be required to control and minimise impacts to water quality,
such as the use of silt curtains, closed grab dredger, etc. § Require
more labour input and hence increase potential disturbance to ecology and
environment from feed wastage, workforce wastes, vessel trips, etc. |
Construction Methods and Sequence of
Works for the Project |
||
Preferred
option Fish farm
framework are pre-fabricated off-site, then assemble
and anchored on-site |
§ Minimisation
of construction duration on-site and hence reducing the duration when
potential impacts to the environment can occur. § No
generation of C&D materials on-site and potential water quality impact
from construction site run-off during the construction of the Project is
avoided. The use of silt curtain and
construction boats for silt curtain deployment are therefore not required,
the subsequent impacts to marine and fisheries habitats such as underwater
sound from marine vessels are minimised § Less
labour input required on site would result in reduction of waste generated
from human activities |
§ N/A |
Alternative
option No
alternative option applicable as the fish farm framework used for advanced
type of mariculture is large in scale, and could not
be constructed from raw materials on site.
|
§ N/A |
§ N/A |
The
Project Profile of this Project was exhibited to the public for comments on 16
October 2019, and stakeholder engagement activities which commenced in June
2021 were conducted during the course of this EIA
Study. These activities included
briefings and meetings with special interest groups, members of the Legislative
Council, fishermen groups, mariculturists, environmental bodies etc. The comments received from the public and key
stakeholders mainly focused on the potential impacts of the Project on water
quality, marine ecology, fisheries, waste management, visual and noise aspects and are discussed in Section 1.5 of the EIA Report. These impacts are assessed in this EIA Study.
The Project
site at Wong Chuk Kok Hoi is within the waters of the Northeast New Territories
and is located within the Geopark (Northeast New Territories Sedimentary Rock
Region) (Figure 1.1). The Project area is approximately 35 hectares
(~750 m long and ~450 m wide) in size.
The Project site is exposed to prevailing northeastern and eastern winds during the winter months and
is located at water depths of -10 to -15 m.
There is no
historic use of the Project site based on the existing information. The land
surrounding the Project site is generally rural area with no planned
developments, historical or existing infrastructure facilities in the
vicinity. No
historical contamination concern is identified within the Project site. The closest
non-gazetted beaches are over 1,000 m away at Double
Island and Crescent Island. There is an
existing fish culture operation at Wong Wan FCZ, ~900 m west to the Project
site.
The Project
is comprised of the following key components which are discussed in detail in Section 2.9 of the EIA Report:
§ Fish
rafts / cages manufactured off-site which will be towed to the Project site;
§ Mooring
system to be anchored to the fish rafts / cages and assembled on site; and
§ Auxiliary
facilities, such as storage space and shelters would be positioned by anchor
lines attaching to the anchorage points on the seabed.
The
detailed number, size and separation distance of the fish rafts / cages would
be determined at a later stage. No
land-based works will be involved in the Project.
The
Project may have the potential to interact with the proposed establishment of
FCZs at Outer Tap Mun and Mirs Bay, subject to the timing of completion of
legislative exercise to amend the Schedule to the Fish Culture Zone
(Designation) Order (Cap. 353B), and existing FCZs in the vicinity. This EIA Study did not identify any other
existing or committed projects in the vicinity of the Project site which may
potentially interface with the construction and operation of this Project. The
cumulative impact assessment is based on the worst-case scenarios of concurrent
operation of all existing and planned FCZs as sources of pollution and the
impacts are addressed in this EIA Study.
For all types of advanced aquaculture technologies, the construction of the proposed
Project will mainly involve the setup of fish farm structures, including fish
rafts / cages, auxiliary facilities (such as storage areas on communal rafts)
and mooring system at sea. No land-based
works, structures and activities are involved in the Project and no landscape
areas will be affected. The scale of
construction work on-site is relatively small, and the installation
of fish farm structures are expected to be completed within a few weeks for
each fish raft. Main components of the rafts /
cages are manufactured off-site and will be towed to the Project site using tug boat. On-site
assembly and anchoring of the fish rafts / cages will be assisted by a small
number of marine vessels such as sampans and small speed boats for up to a few
trips per day. These vessels will be the
major means of transport to the Project site during the construction phase and
anchoring of these vessels might be required.
No dredging works are required during the construction phase and no
heavy construction plant would be used.
Fish rafts / cages and auxiliary facilities, such as storage space and
shelters, will be positioned by anchor lines attaching to the anchorage points
on the seabed. Use of winch might also
be required during the assembly and anchorage of fish rafts / cages. Depending on the design and specifications,
required works to assemble fish rafts onsite could vary and may include tighten
up connections by nuts and bolts, ropes or equivalent, assembling parts with
pre-casted grooves, etc. All
construction activities shall be conducted during daylight hours.
Mariculture
activities, such as management of fish raft / cages and fish stocks within the
Project site at sea will be undertaken during operation phase. No land-based works, structures and
activities are involved in the Project and no landscape areas will be
affected. Limited numbers of small power
generators will be used on fish rafts to support daily mariculture
activities. The transportation of fish
stocks, fish feed, fish raft equipment and workforce as well as occasional
visitors will mainly make use of small marine vessels such as sampans and speed
boats for a few trips a day. These
vessels will be the major means of transport to the Project site during
operation phase. As the fish farm
facilities will be used mainly for fish farming purposes, auxiliary facilities
such as storage space and shelters will be present, while as automated / remote
fish feeder machines will be adopted in the Project to reduce physical labour
input. Mariculturists are not
anticipated to live on the rafts as in some traditional fish farms. No maintenance dredging or sediment removal
will be required during FCZ operation.
AFCD will limit the number of marine fish culture
licences issued to control the standing stock of the Project site to within its
maximum carrying capacity of 755.2 ton at any given time as identified in this
EIA study. Licensees would be required
to submit a fish farm operational plan to AFCD under the Marine Fish Culture
Ordinance (Cap. 353) that describes site practices and control of
mariculture activities to minimise impacts on the environment. The general management of the new FCZs shall follow the Marine Fish Culture Ordinance (Cap. 353) and
Marine Fish Culture Regulations (Cap.
353A).
Subject
to the completion of this EIA study and issuance of EP, legislative exercise
will be carried out to amend the Schedule to the Fish Culture Zone
(Designation) Order (Cap. 353B) by negative vetting for designating new
FCZ. Consequential amendments to other related ordinances will also be made as
necessary. After the designation of the
new FCZ tentatively in Year 2023, AFCD will grant new marine fish culture
licences to the mariculturists who successfully apply to operate in this FCZ.
Construction
activities by licensees are expected to commence in Year 2024, subject to the
timing of application and approval of the new marine fish culture licence. Mariculture activities are expected to
commence after the completion of construction by licensees,
and would typically last for more than 10 years without major repair.
This EIA
Study has described the potential impacts associated with the construction and
operation of the Project on water quality that have been identified and
analysed for compliance with the prevailing WQOs stipulated under the Water
Pollution Control Ordinance (WPCO) and the Technical
Memorandum Standards for Effluents Discharged into Drainage and Sewerage
Systems, Inland and Coastal Waters (TM-ICW), Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG), and the
criteria and guidelines stated in the EIAO-TM Annexes 6 and 14 respectively.
The
Assessment Area for the water quality assessment covers the Mirs Bay and the Tolo Harbour and
Channel Water Control Zones (WCZs).
The water quality in the Assessment Area was very good with high levels of
dissolved oxygen (DO), and low nutrient and E.
coli levels. Compliance with the
Water Quality Objectives (WQOs) is generally observed in most parameters at the
selected monitoring stations at the two WCZs.
Water Sensitive Receivers (WSRs) were identified in the
Assessment Area, including:
n
Recreational areas, such as
secondary contact recreation subzones of WCZs;
n
Marine Parks;
n
Existing and proposed FCZs;
n
Habitats for marine organisms
including coral and benthic communities, and Finless Porpoise;
n
Spawning ground and nursery area of
fisheries resources;
n
Artificial reefs;
n
Intertidal area;
n
Sites of Special Scientific
Interest (SSSIs); and
n
Non-gazetted beaches.
The
potential impacts arising from the construction and operation phases of this
Project to these WSRs have been evaluated and the findings are summarised in Section
5.1.
The
potential impacts of the construction and operation activities of this Project
on marine ecology have been assessed in this EIA Report. The impacts have been identified and analysed
for compliance with the criteria and guidelines stated in the EIAO-TM Annexes 8 and 16 respectively.
The
Assessment Area for marine ecological impact assessment is the same as the
assessment area for water quality impact assessment. Known marine ecological important habitats
and species in the vicinity of the Project site within the Assessment Area include
existing Country Parks, SSSI, existing
marine parks, mangroves, coral communities, marine benthos of conservation
interest, and ecologically important species including Amphioxus and
White-bellied Sea Eagle.
Field
surveys, which include subtidal (benthic and coral) surveys were conducted during
September 2020 to February 2021 to update the baseline conditions of the marine
habitats and assemblages within and around the Project’s footprint. Results of the field surveys confirmed the
findings of the literature review, and are presented below:
§ Recognised
Sites of Conservation Importance: These
include a number of existing country parks (Plover Cove Country Park and Plover Cove (Extension) Country Park),
existing Special Areas (Double Haven Special
Area), existing
marine parks (Yan Chau Tong Marine Park (YCTMP) and Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park
(HHWMP)), as well as SSSIs (Tolo Channel (Northern Coast) SSSI and Hoi Ha Wan SSSI).
§ Marine
Mammals: According to the latest AFCD Marine Mammal
Monitoring Report 2021/22 ([2]), no records of Hong Kong’s resident
marine mammal species, the Finless Porpoise (FP) Neophocaena
phocaenoides and the Chinese White Dolphin
(CWD) Sousa chinensis, are present in the Assessment
Area. FPs are mainly distributed in the southern and
eastern waters of Hong Kong and CWDs are
mainly distributed at western and southwestern Lantau waters which their habitat do not overlap with the Project site.
§ Horseshoe Crab, and its Breeding and Nursery Grounds: Two species of horseshoe crab, Tachypleus tridentatus
and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda have previously been recorded around Hong Kong waters. Adult horseshoe crabs are not recorded in the
northeastern waters of Hong Kong. The nearest confirmed nursery site and key
nursery ground are located at Lai Chi Wo in YCTMP which is out of the
Assessment Area and are considered to be too remote to
be affected by the Project.
§ Mangroves: Patches of
mangroves are found along the coastline in Mirs Bay extending
from intertidal areas at Ngau Shi Wu Wan to Sam A
Chung and in Tolo Harbour and Channel WCZ at
intertidal areas of Fung Wong Wat. The nearest mangrove is located at Tung Wan which is ~1 km
away from the Project site and most of them are located more than 4 km
away. These sites are
considered to be far away to be affected by the Project.
§ Coral Communities:
The field survey results indicated that the majority of corals recorded within the Assessment Area were common and widespread
species in Hong Kong, including Porites sp., Oulastrea crispata and Platygyra carnosa while no octocorals and black corals were recorded at the surveyed
area. The coral coverage was generally
low (<10%) at areas in the vicinity of the Project site while shallow
areas in the northern shoreline of Wong Chuk Kok Hoi (~200 m away from the
Project site) has recorded hard coral coverage of 11 – 30%. Moderate abundance of hard corals and Antipatharia were
recorded at Wong Chuk Kok Tsui.
§ Amphioxus: Desktop
data indicated that amphioxus were present within Hong
Kong’s eastern waters, with densities ranging from 10 to 400 ind / m2 predominantly at sites in Tai Long Wan,
Nam She Wan, Long Ke Wan and Pak Lap Wan off the Sai
Kung Peninsula which are out of the Assessment Area. Very low numbers of
amphioxus, Branchiostoma belcheri were
recorded in the baseline subtidal benthos surveys within the Project site
during wet season.
§ Other Intertidal and Subtidal Assemblages: Other intertidal and subtidal benthos species
reported from the field surveys and literature review in the Assessment Area
are common and widespread in Hong Kong with no species of conservation
importance. Previous studies have indicated that the benthic
communities of the Assessment Area were impoverished.
Marine Eel
Grass (Zostera japonica), was
reported at the Lai Chi Wo Beach, however, it is located out of the Assessment
Area, and is considered to be too remote to
be affected by the Project.
§ White-Bellied Sea Eagle (WBSE): The species was spotted on Crooked Island and
Port Island at >3 km away from the Project site. The species is uncommon but widespread in
Hong Kong. The nesting grounds of WBSE
is also considered far away to be affected by the Project.
Based
on the literature and survey data, the ecological importance of waters at the
Project site is considered low. Other marine habitats (e.g.
intertidal, subtidal hard bottom, subtidal soft bottom) at the Project Site and
its vicinity are generally considered as of low ecological importance, while
moderate to high ecological importance of subtidal hard-bottom habitat was
recorded near Wong Chuk Kok Tsui.
The
potential impacts arising from the construction and operation phases of this
Project to these marine ecological resources have been evaluated and the
findings are summarised in Section 5.2.
The
potential impacts to fisheries caused by the construction and operational
activities of this Project have been assessed in this EIA Report. The impacts have been identified and analysed
for compliance with the criteria and guidelines stated in the EIAO-TM Annexes 9 and 17 respectively.
The
Assessment Area is the same as that identified in the water quality impact assessment
and sensitive receivers for fisheries are identified as follows:
n
Recognised spawning ground and
nursery area of commercial fisheries resources in northeastern
waters which are located within the Project site;
n
FCZ at Wong Wan (located at ~0.9 km west
of Project site);
n
Yan Chau Tong Marine Park (YCTMP)
(located at ~1.7 km away from the Project site) and the 19,820 m3 of
ARs deployed within; and
n
Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park (HHWMP)
(located at ~5.1 km away from the Project site) and the 9,530 m3 of
ARs deployed within.
A review of
baseline information on commercial fisheries resources, habitats and fishing
operations surrounding the waters of the Project site from available literature
has been undertaken. Results from the
review indicated that moderate to high levels of fishing operation with low to
moderate levels of fisheries production were reported at the Project site. The Assessment Area including the Project
site mainly supported fish families of low commercial value. Areas which supported fish families of higher
commercial values, such as YCTMP and HHWMP are located at some distances from
the Project site. The potential for the
Project site and its immediate vicinity to function as a unique spawning ground
and nursery area is relatively low.
The potential
impacts arising from the construction and operation of this Project on these
sensitive receivers have been evaluated and the findings are summarised in Section
5.3.
The
potential waste management implications caused by construction and operation
activities of this Project have been assessed in this EIA Report. The assessment followed the technical
requirements given in Appendix E of the
Study Brief. The impacts have been identified and analysed for compliance with
the criteria and guidelines stated in the EIAO-TM
Annexes 7 and 15,
respectively.
An analysis
of waste generation activities was conducted to identify the quantity, quality
and timing of the waste arising from the construction and operation activities
of the Project. Appropriate waste
management measures including waste generation reduction, recycling
and disposal options, as well as alternative project design, are also proposed
for each type of wastes taking account of potential hazard, air and odour
emission, noise, wastewater discharge and public transport in order to minimise
waste generation and maximise waste reduction within the Project site.
The
potential impacts arising from the construction and operation of this Project
on waste management have been evaluated and the findings are summarised in Section
5.4.
This
EIA Study has identified five VSRs, including hikers / recreational viewers
from elevated areas of Plover Cove Country Park / Tolo
Channel (Northern Coast SSSI), visitors at Yan Chau Tong Marine Park and Hung Shek Mun, fishermen working / travelling to Wong Wan FCZ,
users of Outward Bound Hong Kong and visitors /
seafarers at Wong Chuk Kok Hoi and travelling to Northeastern
waters in Hong Kong. The quality of most
existing views towards the Project is generally good, with a high degree of
visibility to natural views.
The
potential visual impacts and glare effect from the construction and operation
phases of this Project to these sensitive receivers have been evaluated and the
findings are summarised in Section 5.5.
The
potential impacts of noise caused by the construction and operation activities
of this Project have been assessed in this EIA Report. The impacts have been identified and analysed
for compliance with the criteria and guidelines stated in the EIAO-TM Annexes 5 and 13 respectively and the applicable
criteria stipulated under the Noise
Control Ordinance (NCO).
The Project
site is located about 200 m northeast of Plover Cove Country Park and is located in an open sea.
Background noise at the Project site and the surrounding environment is
dominated by the prevailing sea waves.
Noise Sensitive Receiver (NSR) has been identified, including Outward Bound Hong Kong – Wong Wan Chau Base, Plover
Cove Country Park and Plover Cove (Extension) Country
Park, and the potential impacts arising from the construction and operation
phases of the Project on these representative NSRs have been evaluated where
appropriate. Plover Cove and Plover
Cover (Extension) Country Parks have been identified within 300 m Assessment
Area. Other NSR is located 700 m away
from the Project site boundary. The potential impacts arising from construction and
operation of the Project on the identified representative NSRs have been
evaluated and the findings are summarised in Section 5.6.
The potential impacts to cultural
heritage, in particular marine archaeology, associated with the construction
and operational of this Project have been assessed in this EIA Report. The assessment followed the Requirements for
Marine Archaeological Investigation (MAI) (Appendix
H of the Study Brief). The impacts
have been identified and analysed to be in compliance with
the criteria and guidelines stated in the EIAO-TM
Annexes 10 and 19 respectively.
No sites of archaeological interest,
declared monuments, proposed monuments, graded historic sites / buildings /
structures, or Government historic sites identified by Antiquities and
Monuments Office are present within the Assessment Area. The MAI identified one sonar contact within
the Assessment Area, which is likely to be modern, recently deposited debris
that would not be of high archaeological potential.
The
potential impacts arising from the construction and operation of this Project
on cultural heritage have been evaluated and the findings are summarised in Section
5.7.
The
construction for this Project will not involve civil or marine works. The construction works include the assembly of
parts to form fish rafts for mariculture, as well as the towing and anchoring
of fish rafts from other location(s) to the new FCZ using tug
boat. The towing and anchoring of
fish rafts is expected to have very limited impact on
water quality. The level of sediment
suspended in the water column from anchoring will be very limited and
localised. Besides, the Project site is
overall deep enough such that propeller would not have
interaction with the seabed sediment and so SS elevation due to
propeller wash is not anticipated. The
use of chemicals onsite is expected to be minimal and no unacceptable water
quality impact from the onsite installation of fish raft would be
expected. Details of tools and materials
adopted on-site would be determined by the future licensees.
Because of
the lack of major works to be conducted, it is unlikely there will be a
significant workforce present during construction phase, and any sewage /
wastewater generated shall be collected at the transportation / work vessel(s)
for disposal at appropriate facilities on land.
No unacceptable water quality impact from sewage / wastewater from
workforce is anticipated.
The maximum
standing stock of the Project site was estimated using an established computer
modelling system. AFCD will ensure the
production scale of the Project site will not exceed the maximum standing stock
level by controlling the mariculture production scale permitted under
individual license. The potential change
in water quality due to mariculture activities at the Project site have been
assessed using computer simulations, which considered the influence of other
nearby FCZ operations as well as pollutants from the rest of HK and the
Guangdong area. Compliance with WQO is
achieved at all of the identified WSRs (except for the
DO criterion which showed baseline exceedance at WSR of O Pui Tong FCZ and the
Project site itself). Based on AFCD’s
past records, DO levels of 4 mg/L or higher would not cause any notable impact
to mariculture operation in general.
Therefore, no unacceptable water quality impact has been predicted.
Temporary
relocation of fish rafts may be conducted at the discretion of licensees with
AFCD’s agreement in case of potential circumstances that affect mariculture
activities. The fish rafts will be
relocated away from ecological and fisheries sensitive areas, as well as marine
fairways and utilities. Such relocation
will be temporary and the fish rafts will return to
the Project site upon the cease of the circumstances. Given the operation phase modelling results
indicated no unacceptable change in water quality from mariculture activities
at the Project site, if some of the mariculture operation is temporarily
relocated, the associated pollution load would likely to be more spread out to
a wider area and the potential change in water quality would be even less
significant. Therefore, it is expected
the potential temporary relocation of fish rafts would not result in adverse
change in water quality exceeding the case under normal operation.
Sufficient
separation distance will be maintained between fish rafts / cages to allow
water flow. Therefore, the presence of
floating structures of fish rafts will not exert significant drag on the tidal
stream and no notable change in flow regime would be expected.
Mariculturists
at the Project site would be required to strictly observe the requirement under
Cap. 529 Veterinary Surgeons Registration Ordinance and have strict
control on prescription drugs. In AFCD’s
regular inspection of existing FCZs in recent years, there was no identified
case of excessive storage of drugs or pharmaceuticals. Therefore, there would be very limited
pharmaceuticals for fish kept onsite and those would be stored at secured
locations, and discharge of water containing pharmaceuticals is not expected
from daily operation. In view of the
above, the risk of spillage of fish drugs or pharmaceuticals is low.
Only pellet
feed or alternative feed with better feed conversion ratio will be permitted
within the proposed FCZ. Spilled /
excess fish feed generally does not persist for considerable amount of time
because of attempt for recovery by crew or consumption by existing fish
population. Bags of feed dropping into
the sea during storage or transportation will be recovered by the crew. In view of this, the risk and consequence of
such scenario are deemed minimal and no unacceptable impact on water quality is
expected.
Operational
activities would involve the removal of fouling organisms of the rafts. Fouling
organisms are usually removed mechanically so chemical is generally not
required. Dislodged fouling biomass
falling into the sea would not constitute additional pollution load because
such biomass has fed on the original pollution source from the fish farm operation.
Disinfection
of culture gears is required for disease control. Amongst different methods of disinfection,
submersion to water dosed with formaldehyde or bleach within enclosed container
could be used. Chemical used will be
required to be stored properly onsite and disposed of by licensed contractor.
No onsite disposal would be allowed.
Given small
marine vessels such as sampans and speed boats will be used during mariculture
operation for a few trips a day, increased marine traffic would not result in
notable change in water quality.
Generation of sewage by staff and visitors onsite would be limited. Sewage shall be stored on vessels or at the
mariculture facilities and be regularly disposed by licensed contractor, and no
sewage from staff will be discharged into the sea.
The
disturbance of marine habitats (up to ~35 ha, including marine waters and
benthic habitats) due to the assembly and installation activities of fish rafts
are considered as environmentally acceptable to marine ecology due to the
temporary nature of the construction activities (a
few weeks for each fish raft / cage), the
availability of similar habitat in the vicinity and low ecological importance
of the affected area.
Other
disturbances such as the generation of noise, glare and dust from construction
activities are considered environmentally acceptable to marine ecology as
marine species, mostly fishes, would temporarily avoid areas in the vicinity of
the works area or close to the source of disturbance, while major lighting sources will be pointed
inward and downwards to avoid disturbance to wildlife.
Underwater
sound and increase marine traffic generated from marine construction activities
are also not expected to result in unacceptable impacts to marine ecological
resources, considering the relatively small number of marine vessels present
temporarily during fish farm construction and the habituation of similar sounds
by marine organisms in the current underwater soundscape. No marine ecological-specific
mitigation measures are required during construction.
As the fish
farm structures will not occupy all of the Project
site, the disturbance of about <35 ha of marine habitats within the Project
footprint is considered to be acceptable to marine ecology considering the
small extent of area affected which is of low ecological importance.
Recolonisation by marine organisms in the new artificial habitats provided by
the fish farm structures is expected to occur.
Fish rafts /
cages are built with permeable nets to allow water exchange with the marine
environment and no unacceptable change in hydrodynamics is expected to
occur.
Other
disturbances such as the generation of noise, glare and dust from operation
activities are considered environmentally acceptable to marine ecology as
marine species, mostly fishes, would temporarily avoid areas in the vicinity of
operational area or close to the source of disturbance, while major lighting sources will be pointed
inward and downwards to avoid disturbance to wildlife.
Unacceptable
adverse impacts to marine ecological resources and marine parks, associated with
increased marine traffic and underwater sound from project vessels, are not
expected to occur during Project operation. Isolated incidents (e.g. typhoon and algal bloom) may require temporary
relocation of fish raft and additional vessel movements during such emergency
conditions, however, considering the small number of marine vessels required
and the temporary nature of the operation, unacceptable impacts of increased
marine traffic due to temporary relocation of fish
rafts on marine ecological resources are not expected.
Increase of
underwater sound due to fish farm operation would be temporary which the underwater sound
characteristics of these vessels are similar to the
operations at Wong Wan FCZ and private mooring site nearby. Marine organisms in these waters are
habituated to the background level of underwater sound and unacceptable impacts on marine ecological resources are not
anticipated.
Impacts of changes in water quality
arising from mariculture activities are predicted to be largely confined in the
vicinity of the Project site. No
unacceptable change in water quality is predicted at all marine ecological
sensitive receivers when comparing the baseline and project scenarios.
Potential Impact on the
introduction of invasive species is considered minor with regular monitoring of
mariculture facilities to prevent fish escape.
No unacceptable impacts to marine ecological resources are expected to
occur. No marine
ecology-specific mitigation measures are required during operation.
Direct
impacts arising from the proposed fish farm construction works include
temporary disturbance (a few weeks for each fish
raft / cage) to fisheries habitats within the area and water column
partially occupied by the fish farm structures, and loss of access to potential
fishing ground with an area of approximately 35 ha. Fish farm structures, such as fish cages will
occupy a section of the water column and the disturbance of seabed due to the
anchorage of fish farm structures will be confined to a thin surface layer
(<0.5 m) within a small area. In the
context of the size of fisheries habitats and fishing ground available in the Northeastern waters of Hong Kong, the size of the area
affected is relatively small. Considering the temporary nature of disturbance during construction
phase, the impacts on fishing activity are considered to be of minor significance. Potential impacts of elevated levels of
underwater sound as a result of construction
activities are considered acceptable with the presence of existing underwater
sound from the nearby Wong Wan FCZ and private mooring site. No unacceptable construction phase impacts to
fisheries are expected to occur and no fisheries-specific mitigation measures
are required during construction.
Direct
impacts arising from mariculture activities will include changes in fisheries
habitat within the area and water column occupied by the fish farm structures,
and loss of access to fishing grounds within the FCZ (35 ha). The fish farm structures will not fully
occupy all of the Project site area but mainly a
section of the water column and a small area of seabed confined to a thin
surface layer (<0.5 m). The loss of access to fishing ground is considered to be small compared to the availability of
fishing grounds elsewhere in northeastern waters
available for fishing activities. The
presence of fish farm structures will also provide hard substrates that could
be colonised by a variety of marine organisms and bringing potential positive
effect on fisheries resources.
Considering the small extent of area
affected and the majority of fisheries resources found
in and around the vicinity of the Project site are of low commercial value,
unacceptable impacts on fisheries are not expected. Potential impacts of elevated levels of
underwater sound generated from the marine vessels in the vicinity of the
Project site are considered acceptable with the presence of existing underwater
sound from the nearby Wong Wan FCZ and private mooring site. Temporary relocation of fish rafts may occur
over a short time, therefore, unacceptable impacts are
not anticipated. Impacts of changes in
water quality arising from mariculture activities are predicted to be largely
confined in the vicinity of the Project site.
The management of fish health will be conducted regularly to prevent
fish disease outbreaks, including the Fish Health Inspection Programme to be
conducted regularly by AFCD and the implementation of good mariculture
practices by licensees. No unacceptable
operational phase impacts to fisheries are expected to occur and no
fisheries-specific mitigation measures are required during operation.
The assessment concludes that no
C&D materials and chemical waste will arise from the construction of the
Project. The amount of general refuse
generated from site workers and the floating refuse entrapped by the fish
cages/ fish rafts are anticipated to be insignificant. The construction of the Project site will
take only a few weeks for each fish raft.
Adequate waste containers will be
provided at appropriate locations to facilitate recovery of recyclables within
the Project site. Regular clearance and
disposal of waste are also required to avoid odour and litter impact. With the implementation of the mitigation
measures recommended, no unacceptable environmental impacts arising from
storage, handling, collection, transport and disposal
of wastes during the construction phase are anticipated.
It is expected that less than 42 kg
organic waste, including uneaten fish feed, fish excretion and fish carcasses,
will be generated per day during the operation phase. Regular removal of these organic wastage will
be required within the licensed area with proper storage using enclosed
containers and disposed of at the nearest accessible FEHD refuse collection
points with public pier following the existing practice under Cap. 353. In the unlikely case that significant amount of dead fish occur, the licensed fish farmers would
inform AFCD immediately. AFCD will then
liaise with relevant Government departments (e.g. Food
and Environmental Hygiene Department, Marine Department) to collect the dead fish
from the Project site directly as necessary.
All staff and visitors shall refrain from littering to the sea.
Waste impact related to generation
of general refuse, as well as the entrapment of marine floating refuse, within
the Project site are expected to be insignificant. Adequate waste containers will be provided at
appropriate locations to facilitate recovery of recyclables within the Project
site. Regular clearance and disposal of
waste are also required to avoid odour and litter impact. Small amount of
chemical wastes will be generated, which will be carefully handled under the Code of Practice on the Packaging, Labelling
and Storage of Chemical Wastes and collected by licensed chemical waste
collector to licensed chemical waste treatment facilities for disposal at the
Chemical Waste Treatment Centre (CWTC) at Tsing Yi. With the implementation of the mitigation
measures recommended, no unacceptable environmental impacts arising from
storage, handling, collection, transport and disposal
of wastes during the operation phase are anticipated.
Construction works will take a few
weeks for each fish raft. The duration
of impact is temporary; and the impact is reversible. Mitigation measures, including reduction of
construction period on site and sensitive design of the fish rafts / cages,
would further reduce the impacts to all VSRs.
With the
implementation of mitigation measures, unacceptable visual impacts due to the
construction of the Project are not anticipated.
The FCZ facilities are not expected
to be higher than 3 m in height above water
(except during maintenance), and only the upper part of the
fish rafts / cages would be above the waters, they would only block part of the
view in the vast sea. The impact is
reversible. The new structures will be
designed in accordance with relevant marine safety standards and regulations.
Sensitive architecture design will be considered where practicable. Residual visual impacts will be
insignificant.
Night-lighting will be used for
safety purpose in this Project and the light sources will generally be of low
intensity, the orientation of light will point towards to the fish rafts / cages, and will not be pointing horizontally and to the
VSRs. In addition, no mirrors or
polished materials will be installed on the fish rafts / cages, reflectance of
light will be low. Therefore, the night
lighting and glare impact is considered acceptable.
With the
implementation of mitigation measures, unacceptable visual impacts due to the
operation of the Project are not anticipated.
Potential
sources of impacts will mainly arise from towing of fish rafts to FCZ by tug boat, and assembly and anchoring of fish rafts by
winch. The construction of the Project
would take a few weeks for each fish raft.
No heavy powered mechanical equipment (PME) is required
and no noisy activities will take place during the construction phase. All construction works will be carried out
during non-restricted hours only. The main
components of the fish rafts and cages will be manufactured off-site.
Plover
Cove and Plover Cover (Extension) Country Parks are identified within the 300 m
Assessment Area, however, no specific noise limit for Country Parks is
available from the relevant legislation and guidelines, including EIAO-TM
and GW-TM. The Country Parks only
consist of limited transient hikers, and the nearest designated campsite is more
than 4 km away from the Project Site.
Other NSR is located away from the Project Site (at least 700 m). In view of small scale of the Project with
limited numbers of marine vessel trips / day and noisy activities are not
required, adverse noise impact during construction phase is not anticipated.
No mitigation measures during construction of the Project are required.
Good site practices are recommended despite no adverse construction noise
impact is anticipated.
Limited numbers of small power
generators will be used on fish raft to support the daily mariculture
activities. The transportation of fish
stock, fish feed, fish raft equipment, other daily necessities as required by
the workforce at fish farm, as well as occasional visitors will occur with the
use of small marine vessels such as sampans and speed boats for a few trips a
day. No PA system or loudspeaker will be
used on-site during operation of the Project.
No maintenance dredging or sediment removal is anticipated during FCZ
operation.
Plover Cove and Plover Cover
(Extension) Country Parks are identified within the 300 m Assessment Area,
however, no specific noise limit for Country Parks is available from the
relevant legislation and guidelines, including EIAO-TM and GW-TM.
The Country Parks only consist of
limited transient hikers, and the nearest designated campsite is more than 4 km
away from the Project Site. Other NSR is
located far away from the Project Site (at least 700 m). With the small number of marine vessel trips
/ day for transportation, limited numbers of small power generators and no
noisy operational activities within the Project site, adverse noise impact due
to operation of the Project is not anticipated.
No mitigation measures during operation of the Project are required.
Potential
impact on a sonar contact A-SC001 that may have marine archaeological potential
is identified for construction phase of the Project. A buffer area of 20m radius from A-SC001 is
recommended to avoid any tug boat anchoring, and
anchoring of the fish rafts / cages in the area so as to avoid any impact to
A-SC001. The
locations and relocations of fish rafts / cages are regulated by the Marine Fish Culture Ordinance (Cap. 353), and AFCD will ensure the
locations of anchoring of vessels and fish rafts/cages will not be located
within the buffer area. Site inspections
on a regular basis by the Environmental Team (ET) are recommended to check if
any seabed disturbance work is conducted in the buffer area. With the implementation of mitigation
measures, unacceptable impacts on cultural heritage due to the construction of
the Project are not anticipated.
Potential impact on sonar
contact A-SC001 during operation phase can be avoided by setting a buffer area
of 20 m radius from
A-SC001 to avoid any tug boat anchoring, and anchoring
of the fish rafts / cages in the area so as to avoid any impact to
A-SC001. The
locations and relocations of fish rafts / cages are regulated by the Marine Fish Culture Ordinance (Cap. 353), and AFCD will ensure the
locations of anchoring of vessels and fish rafts/cages will not be located
within the buffer area. AFCD will
conduct regular inspections to check if any seabed disturbance work is conducted
in the buffer area. With the
implementation of mitigation measures, unacceptable impacts on cultural
heritage due to the operation of the Project are not anticipated.
A summary of the environmental impacts
is presented in Table 5.1. This EIA
Study of the Project has been demonstrated to comply with the EIAO-TM
requirements. Actual impacts during the
construction and operation works will be monitored through a detailed EM&A
programme. Full details of the programme
are presented in the EM&A Manual associated with this
EIA Report. This programme will provide
management actions and supplemental mitigation measures to be employed should
any impacts arise, thereby ensuring the environmental acceptability of the
construction and operation of this Project.
Baseline marine water quality
monitoring at all designated monitoring stations including control
stations shall be conducted prior to the
commencement of the Project construction of any licenced
fish raft.
In addition, bi-weekly site
inspections are recommended to be conducted regularly by the ET during
construction phase of the Project to verify that appropriate environmental
protection and pollution control mitigation measures are properly implemented in
accordance with this EIA.
Water
quality monitoring at selected WSRs will be conducted during the operation
phase of the Project according to the EM&A programme
to confirm no unacceptable change in water quality at the nearby water
sensitive receivers. Details of the programme are presented in the EM&A Manual
associated with this EIA Report.
Mariculture
water quality monitoring will also be conducted by AFCD, in addition to the
operational phase water quality monitoring at sensitive receivers, to regular monitor
the operation and water quality within the proposed FCZ.
Table 5.1 Summary of Environmental Impacts
Sensitive Receivers / Assessment Points |
Relevant Standards and Criteria |
Results
of Impact Predictions |
Extents of Exceedances Predicted |
Impact Avoidance Measures Considered |
Mitigation Measures Proposed |
Residual Impacts (After Mitigation) |
|
Potential Impacts |
Significance of Impacts (Without Mitigation) |
||||||
Water Quality |
|||||||
Water Sensitive Receivers (WSRs) within Mirs Bay WCZ and Tolo Harbour and Channel WCZ: § Recreational areas, such as secondary contact
recreation subzones of WCZs; § Marine Parks; § Existing and proposed FCZs; § Habitats for marine organisms including coral and
benthic communities, and Finless Porpoise; § Spawning ground and nursery area of fisheries resources; § Artificial reefs; § Intertidal area; § Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs); § Non-gazetted beaches. |
§ Annexes 6 and 14
of EIAO-TM § Water Pollution Control
Ordinance § Technical Memorandum for
Effluents Discharged into Drainage and Sewerage Systems, Inland and Coastal
Waters § WQOs for: •
Mirs Bay WCZ •
Tolo Harbour and Channel
WCZ § Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines
(HKPSG) |
Construction Phase § Towing and onsite installation of fish rafts § Sewage / wastewater from workforce |
§ No unacceptable impacts § No unacceptable impacts |
No |
§ Sufficient separation distance will be maintained
between fish rafts / cages to allow adequate water flow and reduce impacts on
water quality such as changes in flow regime. § Licensing would be based on the estimated
carrying capacity of the Project site to limit potential change in water
quality. § No sediment removal/ dredging works will be
conducted. § No on-site construction except for assembly and
towing works will be conducted |
Construction Phase § Any sewage / wastewater generated should be
collected at the transportation / work vessel(s) for disposal at appropriate
facilities on land. |
§ No unacceptable residual impacts are anticipated. |
Operation Phase § Changes in water quality from pollution loadings
arise mariculture operation § Changes in hydrology and flow regime due to
presence of mariculture facilities § Spillage of fish drugs, pharmaceutical chemicals and feed additives § Wastewater from daily operation of fish farms,
Disinfection of gears, and sewage from workforce § Increased marine traffic, boating and visitor
activities |
§ No unacceptable impacts § No unacceptable impacts § No unacceptable impacts § No unacceptable impacts § No unacceptable impacts |
Compliance
with WQO criterion is achieved at most of the water sensitive receivers,
except for O Pui Tong FCZ and the Project site itself |
Operation Phase § Standing stock should not exceed 755.2
tonnes at any given time. AFCD will ensure the
production scale of the Project site will not exceed the maximum standing stock
level by controlling the mariculture production scale permitted under
individual license. § AFCD and
mariculturists should be aware of potential occurrence of low dissolved
oxygen at the Project Site by self-monitoring and the mariculturists will
apply suitable control measures (e.g. aeration) as
necessary. § In case of
potential circumstances (e.g. red tide event, outbreak
of fish disease), the licensees will review the need of fish raft relocation
and propose the fish raft relocation plan as necessary for agreement with
AFCD. § Only pellet feed
or alternative feed with better feed conversion ratio will be permitted within
the proposed FCZ. § No chemically-laden solution from culture gears disinfection
should be discharged into the sea. § Onsite storage
of chemicals should be controlled and minimised as practicable. Excess chemicals as well as chemical waste
generated should be removed from the site at appropriate facilities or by
licensed contractor as soon as possible. § Fuel storage
onsite should be minimised, and if needed, be located at sheltered and secure
location. § Littering of the
sea should be prohibited. |
||||
Marine Ecology |
|||||||
Marine Ecological Sensitive Receivers within Mirs Bay WCZ and Tolo Harbour and Channel WCZ: § Country Parks § SSSI § Existing marine parks § Mangroves § Coral communities § White-bellied Sea Eagle |
§ Annexes
8 and 16 of the EIAO-TM § EIAO
Guidance Notes No. 6/2010, 7/2010 and 11/2010 § Marine
Parks Ordinance § Wild
Animals Protection Ordinance § Protection
of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance § Country
Parks Ordinance § Town
Planning Ordinance § Hong
Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines Chapter 10 (HKPSG) § United
Nations Convention on Biodiversity (1992) § Peoples’ Republic of China (PRC) Regulations and
Guidelines |
Construction Phase § Habitat disturbance § Underwater sound generated from marine
construction activities and marine vessels |
§ Minor significance § Minor significance |
No |
§ Avoidance measures as detailed above. § Avoid areas of high marine ecological importance,
such as existing marine parks. |
Construction Phase § N/A |
§ No unacceptable residual marine ecological
impacts during the construction and operation of the Project are anticipated.
§ The fish farm structures, which would provide
artificial substrates for forming habitat and shelter for juveniles or adult
fisheries, would provide positive effects on marine ecological resources
within and adjacent to the Project Site. |
Operation Phase § Changes
in marine habitats (marine waters and benthic habitat) § Change
in water quality due to temporary relocation of fish rafts § Underwater sound from daily operations and marine
vessels § Change
in water quality during fish
farm operation § Introduction of invasive species |
§ Minor significance § Minor significance § Minor significance § Minor significance § Minor significance |
No |
Operation Phase § Same as mitigation measures proposed for water
quality. |
||||
Fisheries |
|||||||
Fisheries Sensitive Receivers within Mirs Bay WCZ and Tolo Harbour and Channel WCZ: § Recognised spawning ground and nursery area of commercial
fisheries resources § Wong Wan FCZ § YCTMP and its AR § HHWMP and its AR |
§ Annexes 9 and 17
of the EIAO-TM § Fisheries Protection Ordinance § Marine Fish Culture Ordinance § Water Pollution Control Ordinance |
Construction Phase § Direct disturbances to fisheries habitat and loss
of access to fishing grounds § Underwater sound generated from marine
construction activities and marine vessels |
§ Minor significance § Minor significance |
No |
§ Avoidance measures as detailed above. § Avoid areas of high fisheries importance. |
Construction Phase § N/A |
§ No unacceptable residual fisheries impacts during the construction and operation of the
Project are anticipated. § While the proposed FCZ would provide more
fisheries resources to the local and global fisheries market, the fish farm
structures would also provide artificial substrates, which could form habitat
and shelter for juveniles or adult fisheries resources. Besides, the reduced
fishing pressure may also have potential positive effect on fisheries
resources within and adjacent to the Project site. |
Operation Phase § Changes in fisheries habitats and loss of access
to fishing grounds at the location of fish farm structures § Change in water quality due to temporary
relocation of fish rafts § Underwater sound from daily operations and marine
vessels § Change in water quality during fish farm
operation § Potential outbreak of fish diseases |
§ Minor significance § Minor significance § Minor significance § Minor significance § Minor significance |
No |
Operation Phase § Same as mitigation measures proposed for water
quality. |
||||
Waste Management |
|||||||
Project Area |
§ Annexes 7 and 15
of the EIAO-TM § Technical requirements as stated in Appendix E of the Study Brief § Waste Disposal Ordinance
(WDO) (Cap 354) § Waste Disposal (Chemical
Waste) (General) Regulation (Cap 354C) § Marine Fish Culture
Ordinance (Cap 353 § Land (Miscellaneous
Provisions) Ordinance (Cap 28); § Public Health and
Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap 132) - Public Cleansing and Prevention of
Nuisances Regulation § Merchant Shipping
(Prevention and Control of Pollution) Ordinance (Cap 413) § Waste Disposal (Charging
for Municipal Solid Waste) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 |
Construction Phase § General refuse and floating refuse generated |
§ No unacceptable impact |
No |
§ Migration to environmentally friendly modernised mariculture § Adopt modern prefabricated fish culture raft § Adopt modern fish farm designs and advanced
mariculture technologies § Adopt fish farm designs and layout to maintain adequate water flushing |
Construction Phase § Nomination of approved personnel (e.g. environmental officer of the contractor(s),
representative of the project proponent) to be responsible for good site
practices, arrangements for collection and effective disposal to an
appropriate facility of all wastes generated at the site. § Training of site personnel in proper waste
management and handling procedures by AFCD. § Provision of sufficient waste disposal points and
regular collection for disposal. § Appropriate measures to reduce windblown /
floating litter and dust during transportation of waste by transporting
wastes in enclosed containers. § A recording system (e.g.
log book for mariculture operation) for the amount of wastes generated,
recycled and disposed of and the disposal sites for checking by AFCD. § Provision of adequate waste containers at
strategic locations to facilitate recovery of recyclables. § Regular clearance and disposal of waste to avoid odour and litter impact. |
§ No unacceptable residual impacts are anticipated. |
Operation Phase § Organic waste, chemical waste, general refuse and floating refuse generated |
§ No unacceptable impact |
No |
Operation Phase § Nomination of approved personnel (e.g. environmental officer of the contractor(s),
representative of the project proponent) to be responsible for good site
practices, arrangements for collection and effective disposal to an
appropriate facility of all wastes generated at the site. § Training of site personnel in proper waste
management and handling procedures by AFCD. § Provision of sufficient waste disposal points and
regular collection for disposal. § Appropriate measures to reduce windblown /
floating litter and dust during transportation of waste by transporting
wastes in enclosed containers. § A recording system (e.g.
log book for mariculture operation) for the amount of wastes generated,
recycled and disposed of and the disposal sites for checking by AFCD. § Regular removal of organic wastes within the
licensed area with proper storage using enclosed containers and dispose at
the nearest accessible FEHD refuse collection points with public pier. § Provision of adequate waste containers at
strategic locations to facilitate recovery of recyclables. § Regular clearance and disposal of waste to avoid odour and litter impact.
§ Careful handling of chemical waste under the Code
of Practice on the Packaging, Labelling and Storage of Chemical Wastes. § Use of properly designed fish cages/ rafts with
no sharp turns or abrupt indentation to minimise
trapped or accumulated floating refuse. § Use of good-quality feed, i.e.
pellet feed, to reduce uneaten feed wastage. § The fish farmers will keep detailed operational
records to allow more accurate estimation of fish feed input and to minimise unnecessary wastage of feeds. § The uneaten feeds should be cleaned up
immediately to minimise leaching to the adjacent
water. |
||||
Visual |
|||||||
Visual Sensitive Receivers
(VSRs) that may be affected by the Project: § Recreational
user § Occupational
user § Travelling
user |
§ Annexes 10 and 18 of the EIAO-TM and EIAO Guidance Note 8/2010 (Preparation
of Visual Impact Assessment under the Environmental Impact Assessment
Ordinance) § Hong Kong
Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG) issued by the Planning Department
(November 2015), in particular Chapter 11 Urban
Design Guidelines § Study on Landscape
Value Mapping of Hong Kong |
Construction Phase § Setup of fish rafts / cages § Provision of auxiliary facilities |
§ No
unacceptable impact |
No |
§ Site selection at some distance away from visual
sensitive receivers. |
Construction Phase § Pre-construction and construction period for the
Project site should be reduced as far as practical to lower visual impact. § The new structures will be designed in accordance
with relevant marine safety standards and regulations. Sensitive
architectural design will be considered where practicable. This should take into account material texture, colour, finishes to
structures to ensure the fish rafts / cages blend into the existing context,
cause least disturbance to the existing seascape, and are the most visually
appealing. |
§ No unacceptable residual impacts are anticipated. |
Operation Phase § The presence and operation of the FCZ, including night time lighting for the sake of safety purpose |
§ No unacceptable impact |
No |
Operation Phase § After
operation, the open water occupied by the Project site will be reinstated to
their former state. § Light
intensity and beam directional angle should be controlled at the Project site
at the design stage to reduce light pollution and glare (e.g.
hooded lights, specific directional focus, etc.). |
||||
Noise |
|||||||
Noise Sensitive Receivers (NSRs) within
300 m from the Assessment Area § Plover
Cove Country Park § Plover
Cove (Extension) Country Park Noise
Sensitive Receivers (NSRs) beyond 300m from the Assessment Area § Outward
Bound Hong Kong – Wong Wan Chau Base |
§ Annexes 5 and 13 of
EIAO-TM § Noise Control Ordinance |
Construction Phase: § Noise from towing of fish rafts using tug boat
§ Noise from assembly and anchoring of fish rafts by winch. |
§ No adverse impact anticipated |
No |
§ Project site located in remoted location avoiding
impacts. |
Good site practice |
§ No adverse residual impacts are anticipated. |
Operation Phase: § Noise from mariculture activities § Transportation of fish stock, fish feed, fish raft equipment and
workforce as well as occasional visitors using small marine vessels |
§ No adverse impact anticipated |
No |
|||||
Cultural Heritage |
|||||||
Sensitive Receivers: § One sonar contact A-SC001 that may be of marine
archaeological potential identified at the edge of the Assessment Area |
§ The study methodology follows the criteria and
guidelines as stated in Annexes 10
and 19 of the EIAO-TM and
the Requirements for MAI as stated in Appendix
H of the Study Brief. |
Construction Phase § Potential impact on a sonar contact A-SC001 that
may have marine archaeological potential is possible during tug boat anchoring and anchorage of fish rafts/cages as
the seabed will be disturbed by the anchoring but confined to a thin vertical
surface layer (<0.5 m), and <2 m horizontally. |
§ Potential impact anticipated |
No |
§ A buffer area of 20 m radius from A-SC001 to
avoid tug boat anchoring and anchoring of the fish
rafts / cages in the area. |
Construction Phase § A buffer area of 20 m radius from A-SC001 to
avoid tug boat anchoring and anchoring of the fish
rafts / cages in the area. § The locations and relocations of fish rafts /
cages are regulated by the Marine Fish Culture Ordinance (Cap. 353), and AFCD
will ensure the locations of anchoring of vessels and fish rafts / cages will
not be located within the buffer area.
|
§ No impacts to terrestrial and marine cultural
heritage resources are expected, no adverse residual impacts are expected. |
Operation Phase § Potential impact on a sonar contact A-SC001 that
may have marine archaeological potential is possible. |
§ Potential impact anticipated |
No |
Operation Phase § A buffer area of 20 m radius from A-SC001 to
avoid tug boat anchoring and anchoring of the fish
rafts/cages in the area. § AFCD will maintain the record of the buffer area
and the locations of the fish rafts / cages.
The locations and relocations of fish rafts/cages are regulated by the
Marine Fish Culture Ordinance (Cap. 353), and AFCD will ensure the locations
of anchoring of vessels and fish rafts / cages will not be located within the
buffer area. § AFCD will conduct regular inspections to check if
any seabed disturbance work is conducted in the buffer area. |
This EIA
Study has critically assessed the overall acceptability of the environmental
impacts likely to arise as a result of the
construction and operation of the Project.
It has demonstrated the acceptability of any residual impacts from this
Project and the protection of the population and the environmentally sensitive
resources. This EIA Study concluded
that, with the implementation of the recommended mitigation measures, the Project
would be environmentally acceptable and in compliance with the relevant
assessment standards / criteria of the EIAO-TM.
Where appropriate, EM&A mechanisms have been recommended to verify
the accuracy of the EIA predictions to ensure the effectiveness of the
recommended mitigation measures.
The
implementation of this Project is in line with the HKSAR Government’s objective
of creating room for the mariculture sector to grow further with the
establishment of the new FCZs, to allow capture fishermen to switch to a
sustainable mode of operation and making it possible for the development of
newer type of deep-water mariculture in the open sea and attracting new
entrants into the fisheries industry.