Species protection, though offered by several legal instruments, is not often extended to protection of the critical habitats of these species. For example, although horseshoe crabs and their habitat are afforded protection within the confines of the Marine Parks/Reserve, the three nursery beaches where the crabs are known to breed and mature at Pak Nai, San Tau and Shui Hau do not receive this protection (Chiu and Morton 1999). Two notable exceptions to this are the designation of the Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park to provide habitat for the Chinese White Dolphin, and the designation of Restricted Areas for the nesting sites of turtles and waterbirds. Similar protection could be offered to spawning fishes under the Fisheries Protection Ordinance (Cap 171) in the form of designated spawning and nursery ground but thus far none has been designated. Similar protection could be offered to spawning fishes under the Fisheries Protection Ordinance (Cap 171) in the form of designated spawning and nursery ground.

It is AFCD's ultimate goal to ensure the sustainability of Hong Kong fisheries resources and they have advised that they are taking steps to achieve this through implementation of the integrated fisheries management strategy (which includes proposing amendments to the existing legislation on licensing, limiting enxtrants, designation of fisheries protection areas, habitat enhancement, habitat restoration and restocking). It is understood that the strategy, together with the functioning of the Marine Parks and Artificial Reefs, will ultimately benefit the fisheries as well as marine resources in Hong Kong as a whole. Most fauna that could be threatened by trapping or collecting are provided legal protection, however, other species, which may be equally at risk from habitat encroachment or pollution, are not listed. Protected flora are generally widely distributed across upland areas of Country Parks (HKU 1999).

The lack of an explicit or co-ordinated conservation policy in Hong Kong also has implications for the way in which designated conservation areas are managed. Country Parks, by far the largest of the conservation areas, are managed for multiple uses (nature conservation, countryside recreation and outdoor education) simultaneously and in all geographic areas. Although conservation objectives in Country Parks involve elements of management of visitor pressure, disturbance and hill fires, the management scheme does not acknowledge or address the inherent conflicts between, for example, ecological conservation and recreation, or the benefits of reforestation for water gathering versus the disadvantages of proliferation of exotic tree species and the promotion of monoculture. Because this type of management scheme is only partly driven by specific conservation objectives, it also serves to distribute resources equally throughout the Country Park areas (eg enforcement patrols, fire response infrastructure) rather than channelling them toward species or habitats which are particularly in need of them. There is a need therefore for improved co-ordination among conservation programmes to demonstrate that an integrated and co-ordinated policy is being worked towards.

Addressing the second question above requires more information on the interrelationships between species and their habitats, and between these resources and the multiple forces which act on them (as described in the preceding two sub-sections), than is currently available. It is also likely that there would be different answers for different species groups and habitats, such that a simple conclusion would be effectively meaningless. Since it is impossible at this time to address ecological resource sustainability in Hong Kong using this approach, it is necessary to focus attention on first question and work toward continual improvement through adaptive management (ie continued adjustment of policies based on new information and monitoring feedback). Management actions which would likely provide benefits for the ecological resources capital stock include enhanced cross-boundary and international liaison, incorporation of newly available scientific information, and better management of the public's interaction with ecological resources. These management actions are discussed in turn below.