Management Work

Ramsar Site Management Plan

• The overall conservation management of the Ramsar site is overseen by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD). Since 1998, a Conservation Strategy and Management Plan for the Ramsar Site (RSMP) have been implemented. The plan lays down a general framework for the conservation management and wise use of the area and to raise public awareness of the importance of wetlands in Mai Po and Inner Deep Bay.
• A review on the implementation of the first RSMP was conducted to update the physical and environmental information of the Ramsar Site to reflect its current situation. The management compartments and management projects were updated in the renewed RSMP which is referred as RSMPII. An action plan for conservation management of the Ramsar Site is included in RSMPII.
  
  
• To download RSMPII and the Executive Summary in PDF format:
  

  RSMPII (English only)
  
  Executive Summary (English)
  

  Executive Summary (Chinese)

[Download Acrobat Reader to open PDF document]

Enforcement

To better conserve the Ramsar site and protect the wildlife inside, the Mai Po Marshes and the adjacent mudflats are listed in Schedule 6 of the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance and access to the area is restricted. Nature Wardens of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department are on high vigilance in patrolling the Ramsar Site for detecting illegal activities including entry without a permit from the authority. Some areas in the Ramsar site are within the Frontier Closed Area and are patrolled by the Police.

Any person who enters into or be within the Restricted Area without a special permit issued by the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, is liable to a maximum fine of HK$50,000 on conviction.

Entering Mai Po Marshes Restricted Area

Experienced bird watchers, conservationist and academic researchers who would like to enter the Restricted Area with a purpose in line with conservation of the Ramsar Site may apply to the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation for a special permit to enter the Mai Po Marshes Restricted Area.

Mai Po Marshes Restricted Area

Subvention Projects

The HKSAR government works closely with NGOs including the World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong (WWFHK) in wetland conservation and supports such activities by means of government subvention.

The WWFHK has assisted the Government to manage the Mai Po Nature Reserve (MPNR) of about 230 hectares since 1984. The prime goals of the management are to conserve, maintain and improve wetland habitats and the biodiversity and key species in the Deep Bay area. WWFHK carries out the daily management of the MPNR based on the Mai Po Management Plan for the Mai Po Marshes Wildlife Education Centre and MPNR which was prepared according to the objectives and restrictions of the management zones of the Ramsar site. Wetland habitats including gei wais and reedbed are managed to provide roosting and foraging sites suitable to the migratory birds. WWFHK offers guided tours to students and the general public under entry quota.

Click here for more details.

Conservation Projects

AFCD has commissioned a number of Conservation Projects and Studies to collect baseline information of the ecological conditions of the Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site.

The AFCD has implemented the Baseline Ecological Monitoring Programme (BEMP) since 2001 in order to establish baseline datasets of the ecological characters of the Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site.

The fundamental objective of BEMP is to monitor the ecological conditions of the Ramsar Site so that the ecological values of the area can be maintained and improved through management and other measures.

The programme includes monitoring of both core ecological parameters including analyses on benthic fauna, habitat quality and changes and supplementary data namely water quality, sediment quality and sedimentation rate.

Apart from the baseline monitoring programme, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department conducts other monitoring and research studies at the Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site. These include the monthly waterbird count, shorebird count and monitoring of wintering Black-faced Spoonbill.”