Official study identifies rare seahorse in Lung Mei
Green group presents findings by conservation department to boost case against artificial beach
An official survey has confirmed the existence of a protected seahorse species in the Tai Po coast of Lung Mei, which is all but doomed to be turned into a man-made beach project.
The recognition, coming from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, has boosted the confidence of green groups in mounting a legal challenge to overthrow the HK$200 million project supported by the Tai Po District Council.
The department had studied four sites, including Lung Mei, to provide an ecological update for Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, whom environmentalists have asked to revoke a work permit issued for the scheme.
Yesterday, the Save Lung Mei Alliance seized on the results as government indication that the muddy coast could be a habitat of the Hippocampus kuda.
Showing the survey to reporters, alliance spokesman Derek Li Kam-wa said the department, while noting the rare species, had intended to play down the value of Lung Mei by comparing it to three other sites in Tai Po and Sai Kung. "How can you compare four sites, all high in ecological value, and ask people to wipe out one? Even children know this is nonsense," Li said.
"But one thing it cannot deny is that Lung Mei is a breeding ground for the spotted seahorse. This is the first time the government has confirmed this."