Biodiversity
The AA aims to avoid and minimise adverse impacts on nature and biodiversity related to the development and operation of HKIA.
The Airport Authority (AA) recognises that our activities in and around HKIA may impact nature leading to loss of habitat for plant and animal species and reduced biodiversity.
The AA is committed and has a duty of care to avoid, minimise and mitigate our identified and potential impacts on nature and we are motivated to work to protect and enhance the rich and diversified habitats and natural environments – both around HKIA and that may be impacted by our supply chains.
Our Story
Marine Ecology and Fisheries Enhancement Strategy
HKIA is located to the north of the Lantau island, surrounded by a range of diverse habitats the contain several species of notable ecological value. The AA committed to developing and implementing a Marine Ecology and Fisheries Enhancement Strategy (MEFES) as a long-term voluntary undertaking initiated during the early stages of the Three-Runway System expansion works.
The MEFES comprises both statutory and voluntary initiatives for enhancing the marine environment for the benefit of marine ecology (including Chinese White Dolphins) and to provide support and assistance to the fishing community and to encourage more sustainable fishing operations. Initiatives are either implemented directly by the AA, or comprise a range of projects supported by the Marine Ecology Enhancement Fund (MEEF) and the Fisheries Enhancement Fund (FEF).
Marine Ecology Enhancement Fund and Fisheries Enhancement Fund
In late 2016, the AA established the MEEF and FEF with a total capital injection of $400 million. These funds, run by independent management committees, aim to enhance the marine environment for the benefit of marine ecology and fisheries resources.
Funded projects are typically managed and carried out by universities, research organisations, and fisheries industry associations.
Examples of funded projects include:
- A multi-year pearl farming pilot project;
- Pilot project to breed Australian redclaw crayfish in a factory building;
- A study on the ecological risks of microplastics on Chinese horseshoe crabs;
- Study on Value of Peri-urban and Small-scale Mangrove Forests in the Pearl River Estuary as Fish Habitats; and
- Sustainable Aquaculture Development Project.
Proposed North Lantau Marine Park
A new North Lantau Marine Park (NLMP) will be designated as a mitigation measure for marine habitat impacted by the Three-Runway System (3RS) Project. The 2,400 hectares of the NLMP will connect with the existing and adjacent marine parks to form a combined marine park matrix of about 4,500 hectares. The interconnected protected area is expected to provide positive and synergistic effects for the conservation of marine ecology including the Chinese White Dolphins (CWDs) and fisheries resources. The AA is also pursuing a range of enhancement initiatives to enrich the local marine environment and support healthy fisheries in conjunction with the upcoming designation of the NLMP.
Voluntary Enhancement Measures
The AA is also implementing a number of marine ecology and fisheries enhancement projects in Lantau waters on a voluntary basis under the MEFES.
Artificial Reef (AR) and Shellfish Reef Deployment
In 2021, the AA deployed 100 AR units on the seabed to the west of HKIA’s South Runway and around 400 tonnes of limestone along a section north of the Third Runway, with shellfish deployed and seeded amongst the limestone. A 12-month monitoring programme revealed positive ecological benefits. The shellfish reef recorded over five times more species compared to the start of the project, and four times more than the control boulders on the shoreline. Furthermore, ARs recorded five times more species than the baseline period after deployment. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of increasing species diversity. The AA is now considering to scale up the successful initiatives on a larger scale in North Lantau waters.
Fish restocking phase 2
In the fish restocking pilot test launched by the AA in 2019, over 8,000 fish fingerlings were released to the artificial sea wall west of the airport island. A series of post-release monitoring revealed that fishes were detected near the release location.
Building upon the successful results of Phase 1, the AA has released approximately 20,000 fish fingerings at the pilot artificial reef site, and about 1,000,000 shrimp fry in southwest Lantau waters. To assess the effectiveness of the release, acoustic monitoring, remote underwater videos, and underwater visual censuses will be conducted over a six-month period.
Other voluntary initiatives include:
- Adopting eco-enhanced designs in the artificial seawalls of the 3RS project;
- Coral transplantation studies; and
- Supplementary Surveys on Chinese White Dolphin in North Lantau waters.