Home to birds and fish: Hong Kong's Lut Chau, wetlands at risk

Lut Chau, facing the Shenzhen Bay and situated near the Mai Po Nature Reserve, is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), due to its fauna, geographical and ecological features.

A great egret, (C), stands among little egrets in a disused fish pond in Lut Chau, Hong Kong, Jan. 16, 2022.

Hong Kong has been facing land shortages to build public housing for decades.

Little egrets are reflected in a disused fish pond in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

As a result, some politicians have called for the government to put all options on the table, including the development of Lut Chau, the surrounding wetlands, other SSSIs, conservation areas and country parks.

A flock of great cormorants fly above Lut Chau in Hong Kong, Jan. 16, 2022.

Land reclamations, deforestation and illegal waste disposals due to rapid urbanization are some of the environmental issues Hong Kong is facing that could have a significant impact on local biodiversity and ecology.

A little egret flies above a fish pond in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

A flock of black-faced spoonbills fly above Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

Fishermen cast their net in a fish pond in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

A fisherman casts his net in a fish pond in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

Sparrows perched on wires in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

Fishermen harvest fish after casting their net in a fish pond in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

A flock of great cormorants flies against the backdrop of the moon in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

A fisherman checks his net in a fish pond in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

Fishermen harvest fish after casting their net in a fish pond in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

Great egrets and little egrets stand next to a pond in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

Fishermen load barrels of live fish into a truck after harvesting a fish pond in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

A flock of black-faced spoonbills fly in front of the Ping An International Finance Center, situated in Shenzhen, Jan. 16, 2022.

Fishermen harvest fish after casting their net in a fish pond in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

A flock of great cormorants fly above Lut Chau in Hong Kong, Jan. 16, 2022.

Fishermen prepare to load barrels of live fish into a truck after harvesting a fish pond in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

Great egrets and little egrets stand next to ponds as highrise buildings loom in the background in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

Great egrets are reflected in a disused fish pond in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

Fishermen prepare to load barrels of live fish into a truck after harvesting a fish pond in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

Great egrets perched on a tree in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

A black-faced spoonbill, (3R), feeds among great egrets in a fish pond in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.

Great egrets and little egrets feed in a disused fish pond in Lut Chau, Hong Kong, Jan. 16, 2022.

A flock of great cormorants fly above fish ponds in Lut Chau, Jan. 16, 2022.