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Topic: Mai Po closure 關閉米埔自然保護區 (Read 5682 times) |
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KK Hui
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Re: Mai Po closure 關閉米埔自然保護區
« Reply #30 on: Mar 9th, 2006, 8:17pm » |
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Any chance that Mai Po Nature Reserve will be re-opening soon? 
Looks like the spring migration of shorebirds is busted! 
KK Hui FRPS
www.geocities.com/kkhui_001
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Fred
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Re: Mai Po closure 關閉米埔自然保護區
« Reply #31 on: Mar 9th, 2006, 11:50pm » |
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Yes. Re-open please and now ........... 
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Lew_Young
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Re: Mai Po closure 關閉米埔自然保護區
« Reply #32 on: Mar 10th, 2006, 10:22pm » |
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Dear All,
On the morning of Tuesday 14 March, the LegCo Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygeine will be discussing a paper jointly drafted by the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau, AFCD, Food and Environmental Hygeine Department and the Department of Health entitled "Progress of Comprehensive Plan of Action to Deal with the Global Problem of Avian Influenza". You can download the paper through this link to the LegCo website...
http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr05-06/english/panels/fseh/papers/fe0314cb2-133 5-03-e.pdf
If you read through it, you will find that all of government's planned actions is focused on controlling the live poultry trade in HK and minimizing contact between people and live poultry. Nothing is mentioned about;
* why Mai Po, the Wetland Park and the aviaries in HK are closed and on what condition they will be opened again,
* the dead wild birds found with H5N1 in the urban areas but those areas were not closed off but only disinfected and people allowed to carry on using them,
* why early morning birdwatching classes have been cancelled in the urban parks but the parks are still opened and throusands of people allowed to walk through them each day.
WWF has already written to the Chairman of the Panel, Hon. Fred Li Wah-ming mentioning these points and asking him to raise them at the Panel meeting. If anyone in the Society wants to add their voice, then please write to the Hon. Fred Li Wah-ming as soon as possible, preferable before Monday night (I know it is a rush), so that your elected representatives in LegCo know about YOUR views in time for the meeting.
The e-mail contact for Fred Li is <info@liwahming.org.hk> and I would also suggest that you copy it to Dr. Kwok Ka Ki <kkk@kkkwok.org> who is the representative for the Medical profession in LegCo and who also sits in on the same Panel, and to copy it to the LegCo e-mail accounts to make sure thay get the message <pi@legco.gov.hk>.
You can also bcc any message to WWF <maipo@wwf.org.hk> and to the HKBWS so that we can a record of how many people has written.
Thank you for all your support!!!
Lew Young
各位：
衛生福利及食物局、漁護署、食環署和衛生署已聯合草擬了一份文件，名為《應付 全球禽流感問題的全面行動計劃的進展》，三月十四日早上會由立法會「食物安全 及環境衛生事務委員會」討論，文件可以從立法會的網頁下載：
《應付全球禽流感問題的全面行動計劃的進展》
政府的有關計劃，全部集中在控制香港的家禽售賣和減少人和活家禽的接觸，對下 列問題卻一字不提：
＊ 為何要關閉濕地公園和本港各雀鳥公園，以及在甚麼情況之下才會重新開放這 些地方？
＊ 在市區內發現帶H5N1死鳥的地點只是消毒了事，但是卻仍然讓人進入。
＊ 為何一方面取消市區內公園的清晨觀鳥活動，另一方面卻又繼續開放這些公園 ，讓數以千計的人每日在裡面走動。
世界自然基金會已去信該事務委員會的主席李華明議員，要求他在會議中提出以上 問題，如果會員想提出意見，請儘快寫信給李議員，最好是在星期一晚上之前（時 間非常逼切），以便由各位選出的議員代表在開會前及時得悉你的看法。
李華明的電郵地址是 info@liwahming.org.hk，請同時將電郵副本抄送給出席 該事務委員會的立法會醫學界代表郭家麒醫生 kkk@kkwok.org，以及立法會的電 郵信箱 pi@legco.gov.hk，以確保他們收到你的意見。
最後，請各位將電郵以密件副本（bcc）抄送給自然基金會 maipo@wwf.org.hk 和香港觀鳥會，好讓我們知道有多少人曾經去信。
多謝各位支持！！！
楊路年
W 中譯
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| « Last Edit: Mar 11th, 2006, 2:58pm by Lew_Young » |
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Fred
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Re: Mai Po closure 關閉米埔自然保護區
« Reply #33 on: Mar 11th, 2006, 12:12am » |
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Hi, all. Now is the golden chance for us to give it a kick. 
I have sent my email just a minute ago. To save you time drafting something similar, I have copied the main body of my email below. Actions NOW!
Dear Hon. Fred Li,
I understand that there will be a meeting on next Tuesday to discuss the control of Avian Flu in HK. In this connection, I would like to request your assistance to urge the government to allow the re-opening of the Mai Po Reserve to Permit Holders immediately.
My request is shared by many members of the HK Bird Watching Society. May I take this opportunity to reproduce below some of the supporting reasons that I have collected from the organisation's website:-
Despite frequent checking of both the WWF Mai Po and KCRC Lok Ma Chau wetlands, no H5N1 cases have been found. There remains a very simple truth behind all the noise - that the birds testing positive for H5N1 are coming from the urban area, and are resident species.
The pattern of the present occurences of H5N1 in wild birds in HK does not point to migrant birds as the main vector - there is no evidence that migrant birds pose a health threat to humans in Hong Kong, there is no significant danger in visiting places where migrant birds are present such as Mai Po.
It is clear that only when birds are put into totally artificial - and literally sickening - levels of proximity to each other i.e. poultry factories and the cage bird trade do they transmit flu to each other so easily.
Closing Mai Po will no doubt adversely affect the general public's perception of wild birds and their role in carrying avian flu. Surely the perceived risk is minimal compared to visiting the wet markets in Hong Kong where people really do come into close proximity with birds, unlike at Mai Po.
Thus the closure of Mai Po is illogical. There has never been a case of H5N1 at Mai Po. There has never been a case of tranmission from a wild or migrant bird to a human. Why is the risk any greater than walking in Kowloon Park or a wet market?
The above are certainly not exhaustive but to give you some main view points. Mai Po Permit holders are dedicated lovers of nature and among them many professionals, academics, researchers in the study of birds. The closure of Mai Po will definitely do no benefit of understanding or controlling the cause of avian flu. In fact, ongoing studies and researches about migrant birds have to be suspended and HK is deprived of the precious opportunity to get hold of the problem with the lapse of at least one migration season.
Your assistance to rectify the situation and have Mai Po Reserve re-opened to Permit Holders immediately will be very much appreciated.
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Bob Thompson
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Re: Mai Po closure 關閉米埔自然保護區
« Reply #34 on: Mar 11th, 2006, 6:48am » |
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May I suggest that you delete the sentence "There has never been a case of H5N1 at Mai Po"
As you will remember there was the case of the Grey Heron at the KCRC spur line ponds
http://www.chp.gov.hk/content.asp?lang=en&info_id=1759
In my opinion this deletion will not weeken your letter but it will also prevent any comments from officials about this Grey Heron.
If you made this change you would have to insert "2005-6" in the sentence starting with "Despite frequent checking"
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Fred
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Re: Mai Po closure 關閉米埔自然保護區
« Reply #35 on: Mar 12th, 2006, 12:05am » |
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Many thanks to Bob for correcting me. Being factually correct, I think it makes the appeal stronger. 
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gjcarey
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Re: Mai Po closure 關閉米埔自然保護區
« Reply #36 on: Mar 12th, 2006, 2:46pm » |
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This is a copy of the bulk of my contribution:
"1. Birdwatching does not bring people into the close contact with wild birds that is needed to be at any risk of contracting Avian Influenza. The proximity to birds and their faeces is generally no greater than it is in the Country Parks, in public parks such as Kowloon Park and in wet markets. Indeed, I would contend strongly that contact with wild birds at sites such as Kowloon Park, where members of the public can feed and sit alongside wild birds and their faeces, and wet markets, where species such as the exotic House Crow forage and defecate, is actually much closer. It is, thus, completely illogical to close Mai Po when the locations such as the latter two remain open. It is not possible to catch Avian Influenza through binoculars!
2. Mai Po NR, while attracting large numbers of wild birds at certain times of the year, is little different from the adjacent fish pond areas of the northwest New Territories. In the latter, large numbers of egrets, herons and other birds forage, at times forming large and dense flocks, in exactly the same manner as occurs at Mai Po NR. Thus, it is completely illogical to close Mai Po NR while allowing public access to and work in the adjoining areas of fish ponds.
3. There is no scientific justification for the closure of Mai Po NR. There is no record of humans catching Avian Influenza from wild birds, and given the very close proximity or the contact with avian faeces or blood that is required, it is highly unlikely that the casual birdwatcher at Mai Po, or, indeed, any similar site, would be at any significant risk whatsoever.
4. As can be seen on the website of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Dept, the pattern of occurrence of H5N1 positive tests this winter is one that includes widespread urban areas but keeps well away from the wetland areas of the northwest New Territories. This is despite intensive blood and faecal testing by the University of HK of hundreds, if not thousands, of birds at both Lok Ma Chau and Mai Po NR. The intensity of survey effort here is far greater than in urban areas, yet it is only in the urban areas that H5N1 has been found. The irrationality of continued closure of Mai Po NR under these circumstances is further highlighted.
5. The species that have tested positive for H5N1 are largely urban species that are commensal with man. These are the very species that are least common at Mai Po NR. Thus, the closure of Mai Po while keeping open the wet markets and public parks where these species occur, makes no sense. To blame migratory birds when it is, so far this winter, only resident species that are testing positive for H5N1 is unreasonable."
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Fred
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Re: Mai Po closure 關閉米埔自然保護區
« Reply #37 on: Mar 13th, 2006, 1:27pm » |
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Push Push 
Actions now
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macca
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Re: Mai Po closure 關閉米埔自然保護區
« Reply #38 on: Mar 24th, 2006, 1:50am » |
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I have recently received a reply following my email to various organisations in Hong Kong concerning the closure of Mai Po due to Bird Flu and have included it below so others more familiar with Hong Kong than I may give comment before I reply with my counter argument.
Best wishes,
Ian
Ian McKerchar, UK
Dear Ian.
Thank you for your e-mail of 14 March 2006 addressed to Mrs. Stella Hung. I am replying your mail on her behalf.
We share your concern over the temporary closure of the Mai Po Nature Reserve (MPNR) which may cause inconvenience to visitors, bird watchers and interested parties. We would like to take this opportunity to explain the closure in greater detail.
MPNR being part of the Mai Po and Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site is an important roosting and refueling site for migratory birds. The Site regularly supports over 100,000 waterbirds for the whole year and some 50,000 waterbirds in mid-winter. You would appreciate that wild and migratory waterbirds are known to be victims and carriers of the avian influenza virus and may have helped spread of the recent avian influenza outbreaks in many countries.
The Government has been conducting surveillance of local wild birds which includes the collection of sick/injured or dead birds throughout the HKSAR as well as faecal samples of wild birds in the MPNR, for testing of H5 avian influenza virus. In view of the evolving situation overseas and the increase in the detection of avian influenza in local wild birds and backyard chicken in late January, it is a precautionary measure to temporarily close the MPNR to prevent visitors from contacting wild waterbirds and their faecal droppings.
Since 10 January 2006, there have been 16 (i.e. 14 wild birds and 2 chickens) tested H5N1 positive within the HKSAR. More recently, a human infection case was found in the nearby Guangdong province and the source of infection of which is still under investigation. These incidents demonstrate the threats to public health posed by avian influenza and the need for the community as a whole to be vigilant at all times.
Apart from the temporary closure of the MPNR, the Government has also taken practicable measures to minimize human contact with wild birds as far as possible such as stepped up surveillance on the pet bird market and collect samples of bird droppings from bird shops in Bird Garden to test for avian influenza virus. In addition, keeping of backyard poultry has been prohibited with effect from 13 February 2006. As a responsible and accountable Government, we must take all necessary precautionary measures to minimise the chance of an avian influenza outbreak and to protect public health.
The Government highly appreciates WWFHK’s co-operation in closing the MPNR facilities temporarily in order to allay public concern about the threat of avian influenza. The Government is closely monitoring the situation and will discuss with WWFHK once it is appropriate to re-open the MPNR.
If you are interested to know more about avian influenza in HKSAR, please visit the Government’s website on “Prevention of Avian Influenza” at www.info.gov.hk/info/flu/eng/index.htm.
Regards,
Winnie KWOK
For Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation
Hong Kong SAR
ay give comment and counter argument before I reply.
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Cran
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Re: Mai Po closure 關閉米埔自然保護區
« Reply #39 on: Mar 24th, 2006, 1:57pm » |
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on Mar 24th, 2006, 1:50am, macca wrote:The Government highly appreciates WWFHK’s co-operation in closing the MPNR facilities temporarily in order to allay public concern about the threat of avian influenza. The Government is closely monitoring the situation and will discuss with WWFHK once it is appropriate to re-open the MPNR.
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Hi, Ian. I live in HK and occassionally go birdwatching. Thanks for your emails to various parties concerning the closure of Mai Po. I found the above sentence very odd because closing Mai Po doesn't neccessarily mean the chance of human contact with birds carrying the virus is minmized. All of the 16 confirmed cases mentioned are resident birds (Magpie, Magpie Robin, crows, etc.) or chickens, mostly found in urban area. I really would like to know why migratory birds or birds found in Mai Po should be a bigger concern than those urban living ones.
There are also places like the bird market (sell bird as pets or for release during ceremony) and food markets (with live chickens) which are still in operation, with large number of birds or chickens kept in tiny cages, despite the fact that people would have extremely close contact with birds in these locations.
I think closing Mai Po is not going to help, but opening it and let people understand what activities should be of greater concern is what should be done.
These are just my personal opinion and I think other experts can give you more useful information.
Cran
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miket
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Re: Mai Po closure 關閉米埔自然保護區
« Reply #40 on: Mar 24th, 2006, 9:58pm » |
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on Mar 24th, 2006, 1:50am, macca wrote:
Since 10 January 2006, there have been 16 (i.e. 14 wild birds and 2 chickens) tested H5N1 positive within the HKSAR. More recently, a human infection case was found in the nearby Guangdong province and the source of infection of which is still under investigation. These incidents demonstrate the threats to public health posed by avian influenza and the need for the community as a whole to be vigilant at all times.
Apart from the temporary closure of the MPNR, the Government has also taken practicable measures to minimize human contact with wild birds as far as possible such as stepped up surveillance on the pet bird market and collect samples of bird droppings from bird shops in Bird Garden to test for avian influenza virus. In addition, keeping of backyard poultry has been prohibited with effect from 13 February 2006. As a responsible and accountable Government, we must take all necessary precautionary measures to minimise the chance of an avian influenza outbreak and to protect public health.
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Dear Ian and others,
The silliness in the HK Govt.'s position is encapulated in these paragraphs in AFCD Director Winnie Kwok's reply to your letter; these incidents palpably do NOT demonstrate any risks in visiting Mai Po, since the birds infected could have been anywhere pretty much, but were actually all near markets in downtown Kowloon, and the Guangdong human infection case frequented poultry markets, I believe I'm right in saying - I'd bet my life he never got anywhere near a migratory bird!
Also there's such a massive mismatch between the way soft target Mai Po receives a direct hit, while the actual trade in wild birds, which would involve stopping for the time being some individuals' source of income in its tracks, continues.
She says they must take all necessary measures to protect the public - maybe, but the problem is because they are unable to do anything other than blindly panic they are also taking some unnecessary ones too. Being "vigilant' does not extend to measures likely simply to exacerbate concerns in an irrational manner.
Btw, this is an administration - not really a "government" in the accepted sense - which, perhaps inevitably given the crucially limited nature of democracy in HK, is still struggling to come to terms with what "accountability" even means.
Thank God for sensible legislators like Kwok Ka Kee, who are prepared to denounce this kind of nonsense.
Mike Turnbull
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Cran
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Re: Mai Po closure 關閉米埔自然保護區
« Reply #41 on: Mar 24th, 2006, 11:32pm » |
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I'm not sure where should I put this message, so here it goes:
Quoting from WWF(HK) website stating the facts, etc. and asking the public to write to the govt.:
http://www.wwf.org.hk/eng/maipo/updates/20060313.html
"Please help and write to the government for a clear timetable for the reopening of Mai Po
請致函政府 要求定出米埔重開時間表
...please write to:
Mrs. Stella Hung (Director Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation)
e-mail: stella_hung@afcd.gov.hk
and copy the letter to
Dr. Sarah Liao Sau-tung, JP (Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works)
e-mail: etwbenq@etwb.gov.hk
Please also copy the letter to WWF (e-mail: maipo@wwf.org.hk) so that we can keep a record of how many people has written to the government."
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martin
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S China Morn post letter - Mai Po closure關閉米埔�
« Reply #42 on: Mar 26th, 2006, 4:22pm » |
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Just had this letter published in Sunday Morning Post; maybe of interest:
Dear Sir:
It's now spring, and across east Asia there has been no evidence of H5N1 in migratory wild birds this winter. Here in Hong Kong, a few resident local birds died of H5N1, their infections were likely linked to poultry smuggling around Chinese New Year. Most were in Kowloon and on Hong Kong Island, also suggesting a connection to bird markets.
Despite speculation by virologists, there is no proof that wild birds can sustain and spread H5N1; instead, as we have again just seen in Hong Kong, it typically kills them. As a result of this, plus low amounts excreted by the few ducks that may survive, infections in wild birds quickly die out.
Though natural wild bird flus are fairly common in waterbirds, H5N1 is a product of poultry farms, and has never been found at Mai Po Marshes, despite close to 20,000 birds being tested there. The poultry industry is both the source of H5N1, and the key reservoir; poultry markets are among the key means of spreading the virus.
Thus, for anyone concerned about H5N1, Mai Po Marshes is one of the safest places in Hong Kong. And yet, the government has closed Mai Po - ostensibly to protect people, by reducing contact with wild birds, even though birdwatching involves observing rather than touching them.
There was no scientific basis for closing Mai Po, or aviaries (unless authorities are scared human visitors are accidentally carrying H5N1, such as on clothing), or the Wetland Park, or for halting birdwatching tours in city parks. There is no scientific basis for the reserve's continued closure. It is time to reopen Mai Po.
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H5N1 Poultry Flu and Wild Birds Forum
HK Outdoors
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Cran
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Re: Mai Po closure 關閉米埔自然保護區
« Reply #43 on: Mar 28th, 2006, 1:27pm » |
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Shall I said our govt. is a efficient one? I've sent a email to AFCD as suggested by WWF(HK) last night for a reopening timetable, and I got the reply this morning already, almost exactly the same reply as posted by Ian, except that there is now 17 cases, with the addition of the recent peregrine falcon! Because of this, I'm really not sure if they read the emails or not, maybe they do and they have hundreds to reply to and so everyone got the same reply.
If I knew the result, I'll only type a few sentances rather than hundreds of words then.
If anyone is planning to write, may I suggest you to try to 'attack' the faults in Ian's post specifically? So as to see if they really read your email.
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| « Last Edit: Mar 28th, 2006, 1:36pm by Cran » |
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johnallcock
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Re: Mai Po closure 關閉米埔自然保護區
« Reply #44 on: Mar 28th, 2006, 3:02pm » |
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I also wrote to AFCD last week and got the same reply.
My original email raised mentioned more or less the same points raised by the 'standard' AFCD response, plus a couple of extra points (for example the hypocrisy of closing Mai Po while imports of chickens and caged birds have now resumed)
I later even tried replying to the AFCD response, but the email was bounced back by the AFCD server! In particular I tried to ask for further clarification of the phrase "The Government is closely monitoring the situation and will discuss with WWFHK once it is appropriate to re-open the MPNR" (there is no explanation of when this might be!)
I recommend that anyone who is concerned about the continued closure of Mai Po should follow WWF's advice and write to the government (see Cran's previous post for addresses) It would appear you don't need to write much, just a few lines so that they get the idea about the number of people who are getting frustrated by this ridiculous action.
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