Diving in Sai Kung Baseline Conditions

1. Diving in Sai KungBaseline Conditions Andries Temme Susan Voelkl

2. Content • Introduction • Baseline conditions • Environment • Economy • Social • Government • Stakeholder capabilities and awareness

3. Introduction • Statistic • > 20.000 divers in HK (estimation AFCD) • Number of diving agencies • Divers • Impact of diving on enviroment • Pick up things under water • Food dumping • Suntan, shampoo, etc • Boats -> pollution • Disturbance of delicate ecosystem • Overland pollution (transport to Sai Kung)

4. Environment • Subtropical environment 1 • Water temperatures 30°C - 13C • Wet season March - September • 5 - 6 typhoons / year over past 18 years • Pearl river influence highest in the west, more oceanic to the east • SK specifics 2 • Strong riverine influences (pearl river) • High coastal influence (eutrophication, pollution) • Silt  Murky water

5. Environment • Biodiversity 1 • Quite high • Species from temperate & tropical regions • Seasonal (summer high) • Winter: fish retreat into coral framework

7. Environment • Corals • No true coral reefs - fringing communities 1 • Found around northeast & eastern waters • Very important for biodiversity 1,2,3,4 • Sai Kung coral specifics • Location map • High coral cover variance • Fairly Unhealty

11. Environment • Threats to coral communities 1 • Natural disturbance • Coastal development • Marine and land-based pollution • Disease • Over fishing & Destructive fishing • Threats by divers • Disturbance of fish • Sedimentation 4 • Touching/breaking coral 3 • Influences species composition 3

12. Environment • Marine protected areas (AFCD) • Created under Marine Parks Ordinance 2001 • Increasing number of studies • 4 Marine parks • Hoi Ha Wan, Yan Chau TongSha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau, Tung Ping Chau • 1 Marine reserve • Cape d’Aguilar • Fishing allowed under licencing system • Only original inhabitants • Using non destructive methods

14. Environment • Special “please don’t anchor here” zones in SK • Sharp Island • Ung Kong wan (Bluff Island)

15. Environment • Does it work? • Yes, comparative data (Tung Ping Chau) shows increase in fish & coral abundance 1 • Data exists only for Tung Ping Chau • Researched protection sites • Fan Lau, Soko Island Group, Southern Lamma Island, Kat O Chau, Ngo Mei Chau, Tai Long Wan, Long Ke Wan, Bluff Island and Nine Pine Island • Bluff Island and Long Ke Wan are in the Sai Kung area

16. Environment • Planned changes 1 • Initiate fishing license scheme whereby all commercial fishing vessels must be licensed with the government • Create 2 large Fisheries Protection Areas (FPAs) in Port Shelter & Tolo Harbour and Channel in eastern & northeastern waters • Extend fishing ban carried out in waters surrounding Hong Kong in June and July

17. Social • Transport • Short Window • Sunday 08:30 – 09:15 • Mainly people come by bus • Divers -> HK locals, regular customers • Diving Community • Weekly club nights (Marine Divers) • Services • 2 recompression chambers in HK

18. Economics • HK = no popular tourist destination for waterrelated activities • Diving activities more & more popular • SARS impact – many people stayed in HK, discovered parks • Big business – 20 to 50pax per boat, every Sunday (besides Dez & Jan) • X people work in diving sector • X companies with X boats • 36 companies are members of HKUA

19. Economics • High season & low season • All year long, low season Dec. – Jan. • Costs of Diving trip: 3 dives incl. full equipment and meals: $ 600 • Saturated market • Money into SK? Almost no benefit (?) • Food • Diving Boats

20. Government • No governmental restricions diving in SK • Marine parks • No Marine parks in SK • 2 “please don’t anchor here” zones • Politics • Responsible for marine parks & conservation efforts on coral: AFCD & Marine park police

21. Government • Legislation • No legislation concerning SCUBA diving • Some legislation concerning marine wildlife • Some restrictions -> activities in Marine Parks • Licenced fishing • No anchoring • Monitoring by Marine Park Police

24. Government • Education • Distribution of flyers to boats in the “please don’t anchor here” zones • Distribution of information to schools • Special stickers for dive boats • Small museum on coral • Trying to raise awareness on marine life

26. Government • Government participation in Reefcheck • Only monitoring programme to monitor coral communities outside Marine Protected Areas • Recommendations Reefcheck • Better Management of tourist activities. Divers should be monitored, regulated, controlled. • Less than 2% of marine area currently under protection – need for comprehensive plan! Enlargement

27. Stakeholder Awareness and Capacities • NGOs / NPOs • HK Marine Conservation Society • WWF – HK Big Fish count • Most of them other focus • Government • AFCD Lack of resources • Desire of enlargement marine park areas

28. Stakeholder Awareness and Capacities • Diving Agencies • No awareness about • Disturbance due to underwater traffic • Pollution due to boat traffic • Pollution due to overland traffic on Sunday • Desire: Marinepark in SK, no anchoring • HKUA - HK Underwater Association • SK residents • Marginally involved (?)

29. References • Ang Jr., P.O., Choi, L.S., Cornish, A., Fung, H.L., Lee, M.W., Lin, T.P., Ma, W.C., Tam, M.C., Wong, S.Y., 2004. 3.2 Hong Kong. Status of Coral Reefs in East Asian Seas Region, 121-152. • Fabricius, K.E., McCorry, D., 2006. Changes in octocoral communities and benthic cover along a water quality gradient in the reefs of Hong Kong. Marine Pollution Bulletin 52, 22–33. • Hawkins, J.P., Roberts, C.M., Van’t Hof, T., De Meyer, K., Tratalos, J., Aldam, C., 1999. Effects of Recreational Scuba Diving on Caribbean Coral and Fish Communities. Conservation Biology 13, 888-897. • Zakai, D., Chadwick-Furman, N.E., 2002. Impacts of intensive recreational diving on reef corals at Eilat, northern Red Sea. Biological Conservation 105, 179–187

30. Thank you for your time!