Consultancy Ref.: AFCD/FIS/02/19 Consultancy Service for Environmental Impact Assessment Study for Designation of New Fish Culture Zones

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report for Establishment of Fish Culture Zone at Outer Tap Mun

November 2022

EIA REPORT (PDF)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

3. WATER QUALITY

4. MARINE ECOLOGY

5. FISHERIES

6. WASTE MANAGEMENT

7. VISUAL

8. AIR QUALITY

9. CULTURAL HERITAGE

10. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND AUDIT

11. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES

12. CONCLUSION

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1 Location Plan for the Establishment of Fish Culture Zone (FCZ) at Outer Tap Mun

Figure 2.1 Potential Areas for Development of Fish Culture Zones based on Constraint Mapping

Figure 2.2 Proposed Locations for the Establishment of Fish Culture Zones

Figure 2.3 Example of the Traditional Fish Farms

Figure 2.4 Example of the Floating Gravity Cage

Figure 2.5 Example of Newer Type of Mariculture

Figure 2.6 Example of Submersible Cage for Fish Culture

Figure 2.7 Sample Layout of IMTA

Figure 2.8 Example of Deep Cage for Echinoderm Culture

Figure 2.9 Examples of (a) Lantern Nets and (b) Longlines for Bivalve Culture

Figure 2.10 Example of Semi-submersible Steel Truss Cage

Figure 3.1 Location of Water Sensitive Receivers and Nearby EPD Marine Water / Sediment Quality Monitoring Stations

Figure 4.1 Representative Photos of Coral Survey at Outer Tap Mun

Figure 4.2a Representative Photos of Drop Camera Survey at Outer Tap Mun

Figure 4.2b Representative Photos of Drop Camera Survey at Outer Tap Mun

Figure 5.1 Fisheries Sensitive Receivers in the Assessment Area

Figure 5.2 Distribution of Fishing Operations (All Vessels) in Northeastern Hong Kong Waters as recorded in AFCD Port Survey 2016/17

Figure 5.3 Distribution of Fisheries Production (All Vessels) in Northeastern Hong Kong Waters as recorded in AFCD Port Survey 2016/17

Figure 7.1 VIA Assessment Area and Locations of Proposed Vantage Points (VPs) for Outer Tap Mun FCZ

Figure 7.2 Planning & Development Context near Proposed Outer Tap Mun FCZ

Figure 7.3 Detailed Locations of Proposed Vantage Points (VP1 to VP5) and Zone of Visual Influence for Outer Tap Mun FCZ

Figure 7.4 Aerial View of Detailed Locations of Proposed Vantage Points (VP1 to VP5) and Identified Zone of Visual Influence for Proposed Outer Tap Mun FCZ

Figure 7.5a&b Outer Tap Mun Viewpoint 1 – View to Project Site from Kau Lau Wan

Figure 7.6a&b Outer Tap Mun Viewpoint 2 – View to Project Site from Tap Mun pier

Figure 7.7a&b Outer Tap Mun Viewpoint 3 – View to Project Site from Marine Traffic in Long Harbour

Figure 7.8a&b Outer Tap Mun Viewpoint 4 – View to Project Site from Tai Tan Country Trail

Figure 7.9a&b Outer Tap Mun Viewpoint 5 – View to Project Site from Tai Tan Country Trail

Figure 8.1 Locations of Representative Air Sensitive Recievers

Figure 9.1 Locations of Sonar Contacts at the Proposed FCZ at Outer Tap Mun

Figure 9.2 Example of Side Scan Sonar (SSS) Rectified Image Showing Pockmarks, Trawling Scars and an Anchor Scar and Fine Sediment Seabed

Figure 9.3 SSS Rectified Image showing Sonar Contacts and Various Types of Seabed Features

Figure 9.4 SSS Rectified Image showing Sonar Contacts B-SC001

Figure 9.5 SSS Rectified Image showing Sonar Contacts B-SC005, B-SC006, B-SC008 to B-SC011

LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix 1A Stakeholder Engagement Activities

Appendix 2A Operation Measures and Practices

Appendix 3A Water Quality Modelling Plan for Outer Tap Mun Fish Culture Zone

Appendix 3B Assessment of Carrying Capacity of the Project Site

Appendix 3C Contour Plots of Water Quality Parameter

Appendix 3D Comparison of Observed Water Quality Against Time Series Plots of Predicted Water Quality at EPD Water Quality Monitoring Stations near Project Site

Appendix 4A Literature Review – Marine Ecology

Appendix 4B Approved Method Statement on Marine Ecological Impact Assessment for Outer Tap Mun FCZ

Appendix 4C Survey Data of Subtidal and Benthic Assemblages

Appendix 5A Approved Method Statement on Fisheries Impact Assessment of Outer Tap Mun FCZ

Appendix 9A Survey Track Plots

Appendix 9B Side Scan Sonar Images of Sonar Contacts

Appendix 10A Implementation Schedule of Recommended Environmental Protection Measures / Mitigation Measures

LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1 Summary of the Key Considerations of Site Selection Criteria

Table 2.2 Summary of Site Evaluation

Table 2.3 Proposed Organisms and Example Species for IMTA

Table 2.4 Summary of Environmental Benefits and Dis-benefits of the Development Options and Alternative Mitigation Measures Considered for the Project

Table 3.1 Summary of Water Quality Objectives for Mirs Bay WCZ and Tolo Harbour and Channel WCZ

Table 3.2 Summary of EPD Routine Water Quality Monitoring Data from Selected Stations of the Tolo Harbour and Channel WCZ and Mirs Bay WCZ (1986 – 2020)

Table 3.3 Summary of EPD Routine Sediment Monitoring Data from Selected Stations of the Tolo Harbour and Channel WCZ and Mirs Bay WCZ (1986 – 2020)

Table 3.4 Water Sensitive Receivers (WSRs) in the Vicinity of the Proposed FCZ Site at Outer Tap Mun

Table 3.5 Summary of Assessment WQO Criteria

Table 3.6 Summary of Applicable Assessment Criterion for Identified WSRs

Table 3.7 Pollution Loading Contribution from Wasted Feed and Fish Faeces for Production Level of 1 ton at Proposed FCZs

Table 3.8 Predicted Water Quality under Baseline and Project Scenario

Table 4.1 Marine Ecological Baseline Surveys

Table 4.2 Density and Indices of Richness, Evenness and Diversity of Infaunal Assemblages at the Sampling Locations for the Soft Bottom Habitat Surveys at the Assessment Area during the Wet Season

Table 4.3 Density and Indices of Richness, Evenness and Diversity of Infaunal Assemblages at the Sampling Locations for the Soft Bottom Habitat Surveys at the Assessment Area during the Dry Season

Table 4.4 Description of the Seabed Recorded along Each Transect during the Qualitative Surveys (Spot Dive Reconnaissance Check Surveys)

Table 4.5 Marine Ecological Importance of Existing Marine Parks and SSSI within the Assessment Area

Table 4.6 Ecological Importance of Intertidal Habitats within and in the vicinity of the Project site

Table 4.7 Ecological Importance of Subtidal Hard-Bottom Habitats within and in the vicinity of the Project site

Table 4.8 Ecological Importance of Subtidal Soft Benthos Assemblages within the Project site

Table 4.9 Ecological Importance of Marine Waters

Table 4.10 Species of Conservation Importance within the Assessment Area

Table 4.11 Approximate Shortest Distance to Marine Ecological Sensitive Receivers (SRs) around the Project site

Table 4.12 Significance of Marine Ecological Impacts Associated with the Construction and Operation of the Project Evaluated in accordance with EIAO-TM

Table 5.1 Marine Culture Fisheries Summary Statistics 2008-2021 (Source: AFCD)

Table 5.2 Distances between the FCZs in the Assessment Area and the Proposed FCZ at Outer Tap Mun

Table 5.3 Main Commercial Families of Fisheries Resources in Northeastern Hong Kong Waters from Fishery Surveys (Source: AFCD Hong Kong Fisheries Resources Monitoring Report (2010-2015))

Table 5.4 Evaluation of Fisheries Impacts in accordance with the Criteria described in Annex 9 of the EIAO-TM

Table 6.1 Government Waste Disposal Facilities for Construction Waste

Table 6.2 Tentative Transportation Routings for Waste Disposal of General Refuse during Construction Phase

Table 6.3 Tentative Transportation Routings for Waste Disposal of Various Waste during Operation Phase

Table 6.4 Summary of Estimated Waste Arisings and Recommended Waste Management Arrangements

Table 7.1 Relationship between receptor sensitivity and magnitude of change in defining impact significance

Table 7.2 VSRs within the Predicted Visual Envelope

Table 7.3 Magnitude of Change

Table 7.4 Visual Impacts Prior to Mitigation

Table 7.5 Un-mitigated and Mitigated Impacts at the VSRs

Table 8.1 Hong Kong Air Quality Objectives

Table 8.2 Identified Representative ASRs

Table 8.3 Concentrations of Air Pollutants Measured at EPD’s Tap Mun AQMS in the Recent Five Years (2016 to 2020)

Table 8.4 Background Air Pollutant Concentrations Predicted by the PATH v2.1 Model in 2024

Table 9.1 Survey Types with Objectives and Survey Spacing

Table 9.2 Equipment List

Table 9.3 Sonar Contact Summary Table

Table 11.1 Key Environmental Problems Avoided, Sensitive Areas Protected and Environmental Outcomes achieved

Table 11.2 Key Recommended Environmental Protection / Mitigation Measures and their Associated Benefits

Table 12.1 Summary of Environmental Assessment and Outcomes – Water Quality

Table 12.2 Summary of Environmental Assessment and Outcomes – Marine Ecology

Table 12.3 Summary of Environmental Assessment and Outcomes – Fisheries

Table 12.4 Summary of Environmental Assessment and Outcomes – Waste

Table 12.5 Summary of Environmental Assessment and Outcomes – Visual Impact

Table 12.6 Summary of Environmental Assessment and Outcomes – Air Quality

Table 12.7 Summary of Environmental Assessment and Outcomes – Cultural Heritage

Table 12.8 Key Assessment Assumptions, Limitation of Assessment Methodologies and related Prior Agreement(s) with the Relevant Authorities

Table 12.9 Summary of Environmental Benefits and Dis-benefits of the Development Options and Alternative Mitigation Measures Considered for the Project