WWF wants more government cash to run Mai Po reserve
The WWF wants more money from the government to manage the Mai Po Nature Reserve. The conservation group, appointed in 1983 to run the internationally important wetland, said yesterday it was contributing more than HK$3 million a year towards its management costs.
Eric Bohm, WWF Hong Kong chief executive, called on the government to make a stronger commitment to, and investment in, the reserve by providing sufficient funding.
WWF said management costs were rising sharply and the HK$1.4 million annual contribution from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department was inadequate, as it only accounted for 22 per cent of the HK6.6 million management costs. In Britain, non-governmental organisations receive 50 to 100 per cent government funding for managing land within environmentally sensitive sites.
WWF is seeking HK$6 million a year for the coming two years and HK$3.5 million in the third year, and adjustments for construction costs in subsequent years.
The reserve's manager, Bena Smith, said: 'The scale, frequency and cost of large-scale work required to keep Mai Po as Hong Kong's biodiversity hotspot are all on the increase. If the needs of the reserve are not met, we will see a gradual deterioration in the wetland habitats and a decline in the wildlife using them.'
The group yesterday announced the annual Big Bird Race, the bird-watching charity event to support the management of the reserve, which celebrates its 27th anniversary on February 12.
In the past 26 years, the event has raised over HK$30 million. This year, WWF hopes the race can raise HK1.2 million to renovate the most important portion of the reserve for the globally endangered black-faced spoonbill.
