Conservation and sustainable exploitation of mangroves in Hong Kong

Mangroves are important wetlands along tropical and subtropical coasts that have been seriously damaged due to excessive exploitation. The need to conserve mangroves has been recognized since the 1970s. The degree of mangrove conservation ranges from rigid ecological conservation (for "posterity") to sustainable exploitation (for "prosperity"), dependent on the needs and requirements of different regions. In Hong Kong, mangrove resources were rapidly destroyed in the last decades due to massive reclamation and infra-structural developments. To conserve the remaining mangroves in Hong Kong, a comprehensive ecological study was conducted in 1994-1997 to understand the ecological characteristics and current status of mangrove swamps, and 44 remaining swamps were classified into five categories according to overall conservation values. The conservation of Hong Kong mangroves is generally more towards "posterity" with strong emphasis on protecting biodiversity and maintaining ecological processes. Different conservation strategies have been recommended and promoting public awareness is one of the most important strategies. The possibility of using mangrove wetlands to remove pollutants appeared to be an attractive way to increase public awareness and educate the community. However, more research is needed to obtain a better understanding of pollutant assimilative capacity, long-term effects of wastewater-borne pollutants, costs and life span of such a mangrove wastewater treatment facility.