Marine conservation in Hong Kong

Biodiversity Strategy for HKSAR released

Hong Kong Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan – 2035

(BSAP)

The Hong Kong Government (Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB)) released the ten-year BSAP for Hong Kong, after a public consultation that was completed in July 2025.  Living Seas Hong Kong provided detailed commentary as part of the public consultation and we are happy to see the HKSAR government has plans and targets in a number of areas, that covers many of our concerns.   

The new strategy document covers four major strategic areas:

  1. Nature Conservation
  2. Deepening Mainstreaming
  3. Capacity Building
  4. Collaborative partnering

The full BSAP -2035 document from the government can be found on this link.

AFCD Full BSAP plan for 2035

The following pages are a very high-level extraction of priority areas of relevance and interest to us.

Nature conservation

This strategic area aims to prevent biodiversity loss and ensure ecological resilience through comprehensive, area-based habitat and species protection, recovery, and restoration.

Priority projects of interest to Living Seas

  1. Establish new protected areas and other effective area conservation measures including one of our favourite sites at Sharp Island and work towards identification of other potential marine areas for protection.
  2. Enhance management of protected areas and habitat connectivity including marine parks.
  3. Regulation of visitors to marine areas of high ecological value, such as coral areas.
  4. Establish wetland conservation systems including Coastal protected areas in Pak Nai, a key area of important species such as horseshoe crabs, seagrasses and oyster reefs.

Some of Hong Kong’s beautiful butterflyfish
(Damsel and cardinalfish using a branching
black coral colony for cover)
  1. Enhance existing ecosystems and restore degraded habitats or declined biological resources, through habitat restoration programmes for seagrass, coral communities.  The further deployment of artificial reefs.
  2.  Enhance actions to protect endangered wildlife including enhancing wildlife protection and protection of non-resident cetaceans.
  3.  Introduce new legislation prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Hong Kong
  4. Reduce pollution to levels that are not harmful to the aquatic environment, including removal or marine refuse and ghost nets in important areas.

Deepening Mainstreaming

The strategic area aims to integrate biodiversity conservation into every sector of society,

Priority projects of interest to Living Seas

  1. Encourage and promote awareness and community involvement through citizen science initiatives to foster responsibility and active stewardship of nature
  2. Promote sustainable ecotourism including assessing carrying capacity of ecotourism hotspots

Capacity Building

This strategic area focuses on bolstering Hong Kong’s capacity for biodiversity conservation.

Priority projects of interest to Living Seas

  1. Improve knowledge on local biodiversity and ecosystems, including biodiversity surveys and compilation of list of threatened species.
Living Seas Marine Life Surveys, aim to raise awareness of species and biodiversity hotspots

Collaborative Partnering

Cross organisational co-operation during a beach cleanup
Cross organisational co-operation during a beach cleanup

This strategic area aims to broaden and strengthen partnerships across regions, industries and communities to strengthen conservation of nature for the benefit of more people.

Priority projects of interest to Living Seas

  1. Conduct cooperative surveys / projects and exchange data on various species with neighbouring cities and regions.
  2. Conduct cross department operations and cross border intelligence exchange.
  3. Support cross border research projects on topics related to nature conservation and sustainable development