The urging underscores the long-standing debate between property development and conservation in Hong Kong, where a shortage of usable land has been blamed for rising home prices.
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HONG KONG, Jan 16 (SCMP): Hong Kong authorities have stepped up their vigilance against bird flu after a highly pathogenic strain was detected in the city for the first time.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said on Thursday it was notified that two samples of bird droppings taken from Mai Po nature reserve by university researchers last Wednesday had tested positive for the H5N8 strain.
Located in the northwestern New Territories bordering Deep Bay, Mai Po is Hong Kong’s largest remaining wetland and recognised for its global importance for sustaining bird migrations. The area is an internationally acclaimed marshland and haven for tens of thousands of migratory birds.