【原文】下文摘錄自10月30日香港《文匯報》︰

覓地建屋是香港面對的老大難問題之一。這邊廂求地若渴，那邊廂，新界北區就有約千公頃魚塘被「投閒置散」。香港文匯報記者日前到濕地保育區一帶，直擊不少魚塘已經荒廢、失去吸引候鳥的作用，但因墨守成規的保育政策而一直閒置，令人、鳥也無法受用，反而與高樓大廈為鄰的大小河道就吸引不少瀕危候鳥棲息覓食。香港環境保護協會主席樊熙泰教授月前遠赴英國倫敦考察，發現曾被宣告步入「生態死亡」的泰晤士河，在引入「河道保育」技術後替代了魚塘的保育角色，由一條「死河」變為孕育超過120種候鳥、魚類等生物的河流。他認為，有關經驗值得香港借鑑，「只要充分利用現有河道進行保育，填平魚塘、釋放土地建造更多綠化宜居房屋，既能保育候鳥，又能解決香港樓荒困局。」

為了解活化河道如何適合候鳥保育及生活，投身保育界30多年的香港環境保護協會主席、香港北部都會區發展聯盟秘書長樊熙泰月前應邀到英國倫敦兩星期，主要考察包括泰晤士河主流河道、支流河道及河旁新社區發展之成功案例。

樊熙泰日前接受香港文匯報訪問時表示，泰晤士河過去與香港河道一樣出現嚴重污染，一度被宣告步入「生態死亡」。然而，在倫敦政府近年推出多項河道改善措施後，泰晤士河錄得多種物種回歸，證明了河道保育的成效遠比魚塘保育為高。

除了倫敦引入河道保育外，內地也不遑多讓。樊熙泰憶述，他在2008年北京奧運前夕，獲天津經濟開發區泰達環保協會邀請出席區內濕地保育工作，並與南開大學及天津科技大學專家共同實地考察及制定人工河道保育規劃方案，「現在天津七里海濕地、貝殼堤濕地公園，及一些國家級濕地公園等，均充分利用周邊河道納入候鳥保育緩衝及伸延地帶，效果非常顯著，相比之下，香港實在落後於內地。」

為進一步考證香港魚塘保育的成效，樊熙泰日前帶香港文匯報記者前往米埔、新田及馬草壟一帶濕地保育區、緩衝區及現有河道，發現其中至少有六成魚塘早已荒廢或閒置，塘水混濁不堪，多處魚塘邊更堆滿化學及建築垃圾，更有一處的魚塘已乾塘，沒有候鳥出沒，生態價值成疑。

樊熙泰其後帶記者到天水圍天影路人工排水河道。該處雖然人來人往，但無阻候鳥搵食，更不時出現黑臉琵鷺等瀕危物種候鳥的身影，證明高樓大廈旁之市區河道也能好好保育候鳥，發展與保育是能共存。

「只要細心留意，不難發現香港高樓大廈旁之河道並未有阻礙候鳥飛行。」樊熙泰坦言，不少人對魚塘保育充滿迷思，以為保住魚塘就能留住候鳥，但香港觀鳥人士都知道一個秘密，候鳥並非主要停留於魚塘，而是前往香港各大主要河流，「北區不少魚塘需漁民每年進行清塘及施放養魚苗，才能吸引鳥類停留，但只要改善河道生態，為候鳥提供較佳的棲息及覓食環境遠比魚塘強。」

即使候鳥在魚塘內覓食，其習性也是站在魚塘沿岸四邊覓食，魚池中央不管佔地多大多闊，候鳥也無法走入池中覓食。「候鳥喜歡聚集於淺灘尋找食物，而不是聚集於魚塘中央，假若政府投放巨大資源保育已受污染的荒廢魚塘，意味大片土地資源將會被浪費掉。」他說。

以「河道保育候鳥」取代「魚塘保育候鳥」驟聽之下似乎十分「勞師動眾」，但樊熙泰指出，政府其實無需額外增撥資源，「政府設有保育基金每年資助魚塘保育，而渠務署每年對各河道進行例行保養及維修，因此整體資源不必額外增撥，只需適度進行河道前期布置及每年例行保養便可持久進行。」

由於引入「河道保育候鳥」就可以釋出魚塘建屋，可持續的經濟效益更明顯。樊熙泰說：「特區政府的保育政策其實也有不少兩全其美的替代方案，例如善用河道保育候鳥，效益絕對比用魚塘來保育為高，希望官員可迎新而上，以新科學經驗及最有效益的生態規劃香港保育工作。」

Abandoned fish ponds to build houses A win-win for both conservation and development

【譯文】Finding land to build residential units is one of the most challenging problems facing Hong Kong. On the other hand, about 1,000 hectares of fish ponds in the North District of the New Territories have been "idled". The Hong Kong Wen Wei Po reporter recently went to the wetland conservation area, straight to many fish ponds that have been abandoned and lost the role of attracting migratory birds. Still, because of the conservation policy, neither people nor birds can use it. On the contrary, rivers with high-rise buildings as neighbours attracted many endangered migratory birds' habits for food. Professor Fan Hei-tai, Chairman of the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Association, visited London, England, a month ago and found that the River Thames, once declared "ecologically dead", has replaced the ecological role of fish ponds after the introduction of "river conservation" technology, turning it from a "dead river" into a river that supports over 120 species of migratory birds and fish. He believes that it is worthwhile to learn from the experience of Hong Kong, "as long as the existing river is fully utilized for conservation, the fish ponds are filled in, and land is released to build more green and livable houses, not only can migratory birds be conserved, but also the predicament of property shortage in Hong Kong can be solved.

To understand how the revitalized river can be suitable for the conservation and living of migratory birds, Fan Hei-tai, Chairman of the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Association and Secretary General of the Hong Kong Northern Metropolitan Development Alliance, was invited to London, England, for two weeks a month ago, mainly to study the successful cases of the mainstream river Thames, tributary rivers and new community development along the river.

In a recent interview with Hong Kong Wen Wei Po, Fan said that the River Thames was once declared "ecologically dead" due to severe pollution, as in the case of Hong Kong's rivers. However, after the London government launched several river improvement measures in recent years, the Thames recorded the return of a variety of species, proving that the effectiveness of river conservation is much higher than fish pond conservation.

In addition to the introduction of river conservation in London, the Mainland is not far behind. Fan recalled that he was invited by the TEDA Environmental Protection Association of the Tianjin Economic Development Area to attend the wetland conservation work in the area on the eve of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and that he worked with experts from Nankai University and Tianjin University of Science and Technology to conduct a site visit and formulate a conservation plan for artificial rivers. In comparison, Hong Kong is lagging behind the Mainland.

To further prove the effectiveness of fish pond conservation in Hong Kong, Fan Hei-tai took Hong Kong Wen Wei Po reporters to the wetland conservation areas, buffer zones and existing river channels around Mai Po, San Tin and Ma Tso Lung recently and found that at least 60% of the fish ponds have been abandoned or idle for a long time. The water of the ponds is muddy.

Fan Hei-tai then took the reporter to the artificial drainage channel of Tin Ying Road in Tin Shui Wai. Although the place was crowded with people, migratory birds were not prevented from feeding there, and endangered species of migratory birds, such as the black-faced spoonbill, appeared from time to time, proving that the urban rivers next to high-rise buildings can also properly conserve migratory birds and that development and conservation can coexist.

"If you pay close attention, it is not difficult to find that the rivers next to high-rise buildings in Hong Kong do not obstruct the flight of migratory birds." Fan Hei-tai said many are full of myths about conserving fish ponds, thinking that migratory birds can be retained by preserving fish ponds. Still, bird watchers in Hong Kong know a secret: migratory birds do not stay mainly in fish ponds but go to significant rivers in Hong Kong. It is much better than fish ponds.

Even if migratory birds forage in fish ponds, their habit is to stand along the shoreline of fish ponds and feed on all sides. "Migratory birds prefer to gather in the shallows in search of food rather than in the middle of the fish pond, and if the government invests huge resources in conserving the polluted and abandoned fish ponds, it means that a large number of land resources will be wasted," he said.

However, Fan pointed out that the government does not need to allocate additional resources. "The government has a conservation fund to subsidize the conservation of fish ponds yearly. The Drainage Services Department carries out routine maintenance and repair of the rivers every year, so there is no need to allocate additional resources. The 'River Conservation Waiting List' is an integral part of the project."

"Introducing 'river conservation for migratory birds' will release the fish ponds for building houses, and the sustainable economic benefits will be more obvious. I hope the officials can take a new approach and plan Hong Kong's conservation work with new scientific experience and the most effective ecology," said Fan Hei-tai.◆ 琬琰