Eco-tourism means piles of trash on beaches and ‘digging up marine creatures’…
Greenpeace campaigner Ha Shun-kuen on Wednesday told a radio programme that at least 22 sites with high ecological value in Hong Kong are not protected by the city’s environmental ordinances because they lie outside designated country parks and marine parks.
…The sites include Sharp Island in Sai Kung, a snorkelling hotspot which was thronged by thousands of tourists during China’s National Day holiday last October. Many were filmed trampling on coral and digging up marine creatures, sparking concerns about ecological protection.
…Hong Kong’s natural attractions have seen large crowds during holidays, with viral videos showing poor hygiene at the sites and problematic behaviour that could damage the environment, leading to overtourism concerns.
Can’t they go to Hainan to do this? Maybe they do.
Via Twitter – AI videos of very young white kids insisting the Senkaku Islands are Chinese.
Hainan has been completely devastated by development in the last 10 years, so the answer is no.
Eco-tourism can only mean 1 or 2 things, but not both:
1) Exclusive and very restricted, expertly guided tours of certain environments in a very eco-friendly way avoidingdamage, harm and disturbance
2) Concreting and tarmacing access to such environments and destroying them with massive numbers of dumb ass grockles who throw their shit everywhere, take photos, destroy the flora and fauna for momentos and encourage greater numbers via ocial media and low cost tour groups.
We’ve seen which HKG will get; as did Thailand etc
The destruction of habitat has been facilitated by the following amendment to the Outline Zoning Plans, example
“Revision to the Remarks of the Notes for “Conservation Area” and “Coastal Protection Area” zones on filling of land/pond or excavation of land clause in accordance with the Master Schedule of Notes to Statutory Plans”
• Planning Permission Requirement: Filling of land/pond or excavation of land within CA and CPA zones generally requires s.16 planning permission.
• Exemptions: The restrictions do not apply to:
o Public works co-ordinated or implemented by the Government.
Similar amendments are applied to “Site of Special Scientific Interest” (SSSI)
Greenpeace and other green groups did not bother to object to the insertion of this clause that effectively grants the administration unfettered power to implement “tourism is anywhere in Hong Kong” facilities that overwhelm fragile conservation locations.
The clause would still of course be approved but at least it would be on record that there had been strong objections from the community other than the submission of one individual.
@Load Toad – photos are not the problem. remember the old advice: take only photos; leave only footprints. Otherwise I entirely agree with you. While Japan and many European countries are trying to reduce the flow of visitors to sensitive sites, our tourist industry is actively encouraging more to come.
Regards the videos about Senkaku: look deep fake AI; hopefully they are.
@HKJC Irregular: These are SO obviously bullshit that they are begging for a new categorization entirely. Oh yeah: “A.I.”
I wouldn’t doubt if someone were to go check out Elmo Muskrat’s recent “Grok AI” foray into child porn that some of these same pro China “kids” will be seen there as well.