The Hong Kong government has introduced a string of measures to manage ecotourism hotspots in Sai Kung and Lantau Island, as a surge in visitors is expected during China’s upcoming Golden Week holiday.

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said in a statement on Wednesday that it would deploy drones and additional staff to patrol several hotspots – including Sharp Island and High Island Reservoir’s East Dam in Sai Kung, as well as Shui Hau on Lantau – from Friday to Tuesday.

The announcement comes two days before Labour Day, a public holiday in Hong Kong and the start of a five-day Golden Week holiday in mainland China.

“In addition, the AFCD will conduct joint patrols with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) during the holiday to remind visitors not to litter, and the FEHD will also strengthen the cleaning of public areas on the island,” it said. “The AFCD will conduct joint sea patrols with the Marine Department and the Police to maintain order.”

The government has faced criticism over its management of ecological hotspots, especially after overtourism and visitors’ environmentally degrading behaviour during last year’s Golden Week holiday.

Jim Chu, assistant director at AFCD, said on RTHK on Wednesday that authorities expected 1,000 people to descend on Sharp Island daily during the Labour Day Golden Week – far higher than the average of 600 to 800 visitors during regular weekends and public holidays.

Sharp Island, Shui Hau

The coastal areas of Sharp Island and Shui Hau on Lantau Island are currently not designated as country parks, marine parks, or marine reserves, the AFCD said in the statement.

It also said it had installed footfall counters at the pier of Sharp Island and in Shui Hau to monitor visitor numbers and would set up booths and distribute leaflets to educate tourists about environmental protection and conservation.

“The AFCD is currently promoting environmental protection awareness among visitors through various publicity and educational efforts,” it said.

The AFCD will also cooperate with the WWF-Hong Kong to set up public education booths.

AFCD staff will “explain or advise” visitors if they display any potential behaviour that could cause ecological damage, such as damaging, disturbing, feeding, or collecting marine life, or entering the water near corals.

Greenpeace criticised the measures this week, saying they were advisory and lacked deterrence, describing them as “a toothless tiger.”

According to the NGO, the government is promoting 22 sites with high ecological value as tourist attractions, but they are not protected by Hong Kong’s environmental ordinances because they lie outside designated country parks and marine parks.

Sai Kung campsites

The AFCD also said it would step up monitoring of campsites at Ham Tin Wan, Sai Wan, and Long Ke Wan in Sai Kung East Country Park to reduce littering and maintain cleanliness.

“The AFCD will deploy additional staff day and night to patrol, be stationed, enforce regulations against violations, and use drones and CCTV systems to assist in monitoring the campsites,” it said.

Greenpeace said that Ham Tin Wan and Sai Wan campsites suffered from overcapacity and littering during the Lunar New Year holiday in February.

The government announced in March that it would introduce a campsite booking system by National Day.

Greenpeace has called the Hong Kong government’s planned measures at Sai Kung’s Sharp Island “a toothless tiger,” as authorities predict a daily influx of 1,000 visitors to the ecological hotspot during China’s Golden Week holiday in May.

The environmental NGO issued a statement on Tuesday in response to the measures announced by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) ahead of the five-day Labour Day holiday in China, which begins on Friday.

To prevent environmental degradation due to excessive tourism, the AFCD will deploy 11 staff members to patrol Sharp Island – part of Hong Kong’s UNESCO Global Geopark – and conduct hourly drone inspections, local media reported on Tuesday.

Buoys will also be positioned at sea to mark coral reefs and prevent tourists from trampling the fragile ecosystems.

The AFCD expects 1,000 tourists to descend on Sharp Island every day during the Golden Week holiday – far higher than the average of 600 to 800 visitors during regular weekends and public holidays.

Many tourists lack environmental awareness but generally cooperate when told about “sea-friendly” behaviour, said Jim Chu, assistant director of fisheries and marine conservation at the AFCD.

He said authorities would distribute maps marking reef locations, while World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) representatives will be on-site to promote conservation.

Greenpeace said the AFCD’s measures were advisory in nature and lacked deterrence, describing them as “a toothless tiger.”

The verbal advice by AFCD officers carries no legal weight and will be inadequate to tackle excessive snorkelling and other problematic activities, such as clam digging, the NGO said.

‘Short-term painkiller’

Greenpeace urged authorities to integrate Sharp Island into the city’s legally protected areas and roll out environmental protection policies for tourism hotspots.

Without data to assess Sharp Island’s tourism capacity, “the temporary measure of stepping up patrols is merely a ‘short-term painkiller’ that could not address the coming water sports season,” the green group said.

Chu acknowledged that the government has limited power in Sharp Island as it “is not a country park, marine park or marine reserve” – which means lacking the status of a legally protected area.

“The government is actively looking at whether to integrate Sharp Island into marine parks,” he added.

Greenpeace also urged the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to cooperate with the AFCD to promote eco-friendly habits among tourists and formulate a conservation-oriented ecotourism framework alongside the Environment and Ecology Bureau.

During the National Day Golden Week in October, Greenpeace found tourists trampling corals and littering on Sharp Island, which drew more than 4,000 visitors on October 1, according to the NGO.

Authorities stepped up patrols on the island and said corals in shallow water sustained “minor damage” following the surge of tourists.

Chief Executive John Lee has pledged to step up management of the city’s eco-tourism sites after the influx to Sharp Island.