|
Consultancy Ref.: AFCD/FIS/02/19 Consultancy Service
for Environmental Impact Assessment Study for Designation of New Fish Culture
Zones Executive
Summary for Establishment of Fish Culture Zone at Outer Tap Mun 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 Outer
Tap Mun
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. Outer Tap Mun 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 Outer Tap Mun 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-591/2019). An EIA Study Brief (No.ESB-325/2019) 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:
n the overall acceptability of any adverse environmental
consequences that are likely to arise as a result of the Project;
n the conditions and requirements for the detailed design, construction and operation of the Project to mitigate
against adverse environmental consequences wherever practicable; and
n 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-325/2019) 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 Outer Tap Mun 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 attract 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 Outer Tap Mun 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.
Outer Tap Mun 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 Outer Tap Mun 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 and visual aspects and are
discussed in Section 1.5 of the EIA Report.
These impacts are assessed in this EIA Study.
The Project
site at Outer Tap Mun is located west of Tap Mun (Figure
1.1). The Project area is approximately 55 hectares
(~1,630 m long and ~330 m wide) in size and lies in between two land masses,
Tai Leng Tun and Grass Island (Tap Mun). The Project site is
semi-exposed with protection from prevailing winds during the
majority of the year, with the area only being susceptible to northerly
winds. The Project 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 existing or
planned developments, historical, or existing, infrastructure facilities in the
vicinity. No
historical contamination concern is identified within the Project site. The closest
residential area / village is located in Tap Mun and
is over 400 m away from the Project site and an existing fish culture operation
at Tap Mun FCZ is located ~300 m from 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
Wong Chuk Kok Hoi 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
684.5 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 Water Quality Objectives (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 (see Section 3 for further
details):
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 (ARs);
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 (Sai Kung East Country Park, Sai Kung West Country Park and Sai Kung West
Country Park (Wan Tsai Extension)), existing marine park (Hoi Ha
Wan Marine Park (HHWMP)), as well as SSSI (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 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 covering
intertidal areas at the Sai Kung East Country Park and in Tolo
Harbour and Channel WCZ covering intertidal areas of Fung Wong Wat at Tolo Channel Country Park and at Hoi Ha Wan. The nearest
mangrove is located at Hoi Ha Wan which is ~2.6 km away from the Project site
and most of them are located more than 3 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 hard corals Pavona decussata, Plesiastrea
versipora and Goniopora columna while small amount of black coral Antipathes curvata were recorded at the surveyed area. The coral coverage ranged from low to
moderate (<5%-50%) in shallow waters and low coverage in deep waters
(5%-10%) at areas in the vicinity of the Project site. Higher coral coverage was recorded at the
middle section of the west of Tap Mun shoreline.
§ 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 Nam She Wan is within the Assessment Area. No
records of amphioxus was reported at the Project site.
§ 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.
Seagrass (Halophila minor), was reported to be present
at To Kwa Peng, however, it is located at far away (~4.3 km) to be affected by the Project.
§ White-Bellied Sea Eagle (WBSE): The species was spotted on Port Island at
~2.7 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 ecological importance of subtidal hard-bottom habitat was recorded
near the middle section of the west of Tap Mun shoreline and also in Nam She
Wan.
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:
§ Recognised
nursery area of commercial fisheries resources in northeastern
waters which is located within the Project site;
§ Recognised
spawning ground of commercial fisheries resources in northeastern
waters which is ~4 km from the Project site;
§ FCZ
at Tap Mun (located at ~0.3 km east of Project site), Kau Lau Wan (located at
~0.9 km southeast of Project site) and Sham Wan (located at ~2.3 km south of
Project site); and
§ ARs
in Long Harbour (33,420 m3) and HHWMP
(9,530 m3), located at ~0.7 km south of the
Project site and ~ 0.8 km west of the Project site respectively.
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
moderate level 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 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 described the visual impacts associated with the construction and
operation of this Project. The purpose
of the assessment was to evaluate the predicted impacts to Visual Sensitive
Receivers (VSRs) as per EIAO GN 8/2010 and the criteria and guidelines
stated in the EIAO-TM Annexes 10 and 18 respectively.
This EIA
Study has identified eight VSRs, including residents at Kau Lau Wan and Tap
Mun, fishermen at Kau Lau Wan FCZ and Tap Mun, tourists at Tap Mun, travellers
on ferry route of Ma Liu Shui – Tap Mun and hikers at Tai Tan Country
Trail. 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 air quality impacts 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 4 and 12 respectively and the applicable
criteria stipulated under the Air
Pollution Control Ordinance (APCO).
The
Assessment Area is defined as an area within 500 m from the Project site
boundary. Two representative air
sensitive receivers (ASRs) have been identified within the 500 m Assessment
Area at locations more than 400 m away from the Project site, including village
houses of Tap Mun New Fishermen’s Village and Yung Shue Village. The potential impacts
arising from construction and operation of the Project on the identified
representative ASRs 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 EIA 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
three sonar contacts within the Assessment Area, which is likely to be modern, recently deposited objects 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 planned Wong Chuk Kok Hoi
FCZ), and no project contribution to Wong Chuk Kok Hoi FCZ is expected from the
mariculture operation of the Project.
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. Even if not recovered, the bag would limit
the exchange materials such that the nutrient content would unlikely be
released all at once and result in significant water quality impact. 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 ~55 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 <55 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 Tap Mun FCZ and marine traffic at ferry routes 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 55 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 the 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 Tap Mun FCZ
and marine traffic at ferry
routes nearby. 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 (55 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 Tap Mun FCZ and marine
traffic at ferry routes nearby.
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 38 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
to slight.
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 emissions from small marine vessels
such as tug boats, sampans and speed boats for towing
the fish rafts / cages to the Project site for setup, assembly and anchoring on
site. Given the small
scale construction works, only a few trips per day for the transport of
the fish rafts / cages would be required and thus the potential emissions from
the operation of these small marine vessels are expected to be minor. In addition, construction equipment may also
be used to assist with the assembly and anchoring of the fish rafts / cages, as
well as installation of the auxiliary facilities on site. The associated emissions are also expected to
be minor given the limited number of construction equipment to be used on
site. Potential emissions from these
small marine vessels and construction equipment would be short-term as the
construction period would take a few weeks for each fish raft.
Considering
that the potential air emissions associated with the construction works would
be limited and short-term, and that the identified ASRs are located at a
sufficient distance away from the Project site (more than 400 m away), adverse
air quality impact arising from the construction of the Project is not
anticipated. The Air Pollution Control (Marine Light Diesel) Regulation and Air Pollution Control (Fuel for Vessels)
Regulation will be followed to control emissions from the operation of the
marine vessels. Air Pollution Control (Non-road Mobile
Machinery) (Emission) Regulation and Air
Pollution Control (Fuel Restriction) Regulation will also be followed to
control emissions from the operation of the construction equipment.
A few small
power generators will be used within the Project site to support daily
mariculture activities during operation phase.
It is also expected there would be a few trips per day of small marine
vessels such as sampans and speed boats for the transportation of fish stock,
fish raft equipment, daily necessities and occasional
visitors to and from the Project site.
As these operational activities only involve limited number of small
power generators and just a few vessel trips per day, potential emissions from
the operation of these small power generators and vessels are expected to be
very minor.
Considering
that the potential air emissions associated with the operational activities of
the Project would be limited and that the identified ASRs are located at a
sufficient distance away from the Project site (more than 400 m away), adverse
air quality impact arising from the operation of the Project is not
anticipated. The Air Pollution Control (Marine Light Diesel) Regulation and the Air Pollution Control (Fuel for Vessels)
Regulation will be followed to control emissions from the operation of the
marine vessels. Air Pollution Control (Non-road Mobile
Machinery) (Emission) Regulation and Air
Pollution Control (Fuel Restriction) Regulation will also be followed to
control emissions from the operation of the small power generators within the
Project site.
Potential
impact on sonar contacts B-SC001, B-SC011 and B-SC021 that may have marine
archaeological potential is identified for construction phase of the
Project. A buffer area of 20 m radius
from each of B-SC001, B-SC011 and B-SC021 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 the sonar contacts.
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 contacts B-SC001,
B-SC011 and B-SC021 during
operation phase can be avoided by setting a buffer area of 20 m
radius from each of B-SC001, B-SC011 and B-SC021 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 the sonar contacts.
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 site 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 (ARs); § 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 from 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, and no contribution to WQO exceedance is expected from
the operation of the Project |
Operation Phase § Standing stock
should not exceed 684.5 tonnes. 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. § 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 § Amphioxus § 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 § Tap Mun FCZ, Kau Lau Wan FCZ, Sham Wan
FCZ § ARs in Long Harbour
and HHWMP |
§ 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 impacts |
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 § Residential
user § Occupational
user § Travelling
user |
§ Annexes 10
and 18 of the EIAO-TM and EIAO
Guidance Note 8/2010 (Preparation of Landscape and 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.) |
||||
|
Air Quality |
|||||||
|
Air Sensitive Receivers
(ASRs) within 500m from the Assessment Area: § Village Houses of Tap Mun New
Fisherman’s Village § Village Houses of Yung Shue Village |
§ Annex
4 of EIAO-TM § Air
Pollution Control Ordinance § AQO |
Construction Phase § Emissions
from small marine vessels and construction equipment |
§
No unacceptable air quality impact is anticipated |
No |
§ Optimise the number of small
marine vessels and construction equipment in operation as far as practicable
during construction phase. § Optimise the number of small
marine vessels for goods transportation and visitors, as well as the number
of small power generators in operation as far as practicable during operation
phase. |
Construction Phase §
Relevant control measures as
stipulated in the Air Pollution Control
(Marine Light Diesel) Regulation, Air
Pollution Control (Fuel for Vessels) Regulation, Air Pollution Control (Non-road Mobile
Machinery) (Emission) Regulation and Air
Pollution Control (Fuel Restriction) Regulation. |
§ No adverse residual impacts are
anticipated. |
|
Operation Phase § Emissions
from small marine vessels and small power generators on site |
§
No unacceptable air quality impact is anticipated |
No |
Operation Phase §
Relevant control measures as
stipulated in the Air Pollution Control
(Marine Light Diesel) Regulation, Air Pollution Control (Fuel for Vessels)
Regulation, Air Pollution Control (Non-road Mobile
Machinery) (Emission) Regulation and Air
Pollution Control (Fuel Restriction) Regulation. |
||||
|
Cultural Heritage |
|||||||
|
Sensitive Receivers: § 3 sonar contacts (B-SC001, B-SC011 and B-SC-021)
that may be of marine archaeological potential identified in 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 sonar contacts
B-SC001, B-SC011 and B-SC-021 that may have marine archaeological potential
is possible during tug boat anchoring and anchoring
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 20m radius from each of
the 3 sonar contacts (B-SC001, B-SC011, and B-SC021) to avoid any tug boat anchoring and anchoring of the fish rafts / cages
in the zones. |
Construction Phase § A buffer area of 20m radius from each of
the 3 sonar contacts (B-SC001, B-SC011, and B-SC021) to avoid any tug boat anchoring and anchoring of the fish rafts / cages
in the zones. § 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 areas. |
§ No impacts to terrestrial and marine
cultural heritage resources are expected, no adverse residual impacts are
expected. |
|
Operation Phase § Potential impact on a sonar contacts
B-SC001, B-SC011 and B-SC-021 that may have marine archaeological potential
is possible |
§ Potential impact anticipated |
No |
Operation Phase § A buffer area of 20 m radius from each
of the 3 sonar contacts (B-SC001, B-SC011, and B-SC021) to avoid any 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 areas. § AFCD will conduct regular inspections to
check if any seabed disturbance work is conducted in the buffer areas. |
||||
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.