The Southern Waters of Hong Kong are a unique, highly connected enclave in the South China Sea. The designated area across South Lantau, Soko Islands, South Lamma, Aberdeen, Po Toi and Cape D’Aguilar is home to rare endemic species including finless porpoises, sea turtles, horseshoe crabs, as well as the iconic Chinese white dolphins. Southern Hong Kong possesses exceptional biodiversity and lies within the historical migratory route for whales (e.g. minke, humpback, brydes and gray whales) and dolphins (bottlenose dolphins, risso dolphins), sea turtles, and squids.

“We want everyone to know how important the ocean is to our own health, as humans,” explains Sharon Kwok, Hope Spot Champion and actress, conservationist and Director of AquaMeridian Conservation & Education Foundation. She describes the dire conditions the area’s marine life populations are in. “Sustainable seafood just isn’t an option anymore – for many species, there is no such thing as sustainable consumption. It’s up to each of us to do what we can to alleviate the pressure on the ocean.”

AquaMeridian has been working to raise awareness for marine protection and lobby for the importance of sustainable development of coastal areas as well as marine waste issues such as plastics, abandoned ghost nets and marine debris. They’ve been successful in gathering support from legislators at the Legislative Council of Hong Kong to try and push the Hope Spot agenda forward. AFCD have verbally supported extending the protection of Sham Wan and Cape D’Aguilar. Soko Islands Marine Park is in the pipeline of becoming Hong Kong’s MPA in 2020.

Due to the failure in monitoring the established MPAs in Hong Kong, critics refer Hong Kong’s existing MPAs as “paper parks”, with illegal cross-border ships from China continuing to fish in the protected zones, hence a breach of trust between local fishermen (who were originally supportive of the MPAs), local Government and NGO groups. However, the Hong Kong government expressed their commitment to expanding the area’s marine protected areas and improving enforcement.

According to #146 of the Chief Executive’s Policy Address 2018, the Hong Kong Government “Will continue to take forward the measures under the New Agriculture Policy, including the works of the Agricultural Park Phase 1 to be commenced next year. We will recommend designating new fish culture zones at suitable locations, as well as resuming issuance of new marine fish culture licences, with a view to facilitating the change in mode of operation and sustainable development of the fisheries sector.

Many people believe that taking care of the planet is the next generation’s responsibility, but that’s not true. It’s our responsibility – right now – to create a better future for their children and grandchildren.Residents of the village are willing to help and stop egg poaching, etc. We want to reach out to them and get them engaged; that ecotourism is better than poaching.   There are so many ways people can get involved. Diving groups can help with fishing net cleanup. On an individual level, people can reduce their consumption of fish.  We’re seeing life come back; we must push Hong Kong to fulfil their ocean protection goals and invest in a healthy future for our waters.