For those of you who have visited streams and rivers for field trips, the Hong Kong warty newt might be familiar to you. The Hong Kong warty newt (Paramesotriton hongkongensis), or Hong Kong newt, inhabits rivers with rapid water flow and is the only native salamander found in Hong Kong. In the past, their population has been threatened by hunting for pet trade, pollution and channelization of rivers. However, thanks to various behind-the-scenes heroes, their number in the wild has gradually stabilized in recent years. With the example of such an iconic species of Hong Kong, let’s look at what is needed in order for there to be successful conservation!

 

Green Group Advocacy and Initiatives

 

Since the 1980s, the waterways in the countryside of Hong Kong have been channelized for infrastructure improvement. Such projects often ignore the ecology of the relevant sites and cause new problems. In some areas, the Hong Kong newts were found trapped after falling into the catchwaters. As the steep walls of the waterways are made of concrete, it is difficult for the newts to escape to a more suitable habitat with slower water flow. In view of this, some green groups have implemented search and rescue work, using nets to rescue the trapped Hong Kong scrotum. They have also suggested that government departments refer to practices in other countries and adding nets along the water channel to help trapped animals climb ashore. 

 

They also collect information about the local ecology and related issues through scientific researches. In addition to raising the public’s awareness towards these problems, they also make demands and suggestions to the government. In the case of the Hong Kong newt, authorities have yet to address this issue squarely. Fortunately, green groups have been doing a great job in advocating these problems and made it to mainstream media. We look forward to seeing more good work by them!

 

Public Education and Research

 

As ecologists, we are happy to say that ecology-related issues have been receiving more positive attention in the media. Information regarding different species and conservation-related issues is easily accessed through the internet, and the public is often able to contribute to these projects. In particular, there have been many high quality documentaries that record the progress of ecological conservation in Hong Kong in great detail. Understanding the work needed behind these initiatives are also an important part in letting the public understand the hard work involved.

 

As the world is increasingly urbanized and developed, more and more environmental problems are caused and enhanced by human activities, such as pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. If education is done well, no matter by the government of other organizations, it can have a great impact on alleviating damage done on wildlife. 

 

Legislation

 

Since it is the only salamander in Hong Kong, and it is not that difficult to capture, the Hong Kong newt has been threatened by over-catching for pet trade. If we rewind to ten or twenty years ago, we would still be able to see Hong Kong newts sold at low prices in Mongkok. However, ever since it has been put under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance Cap 170., shops have no longer dared to take risks. In addition, hotspots for the Hong Kong newts also happen to be within the Hong Kong country park area, which is also protected by the law. 

 

After relevant legislation, the population of the Hong Kong newt has rebounded, showing success of conservation legislation. Although time-consuming and tedious, legislative work is often the most effective way to halt inappropriate capturing and destruction of wildlife. 

 

Successful or not?

 

After all, it is difficult to evaluate the success of conservation work as it is often done over a long period of time. The cultural and historical context should also be taken into consideration when comparing effectiveness across regions. 

 

It should also be added that the aforementioned “elements” needed for successful conservation all work together intertwined. Public education can be done by green groups, who carry out scientific research in understanding the problem; increased awareness of the need for conservation can lead to stricter legislation… the list goes on. For now, we should focus on our part and what we can do to help conservation in Hong Kong. Start small, think big, and act fast!

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References:

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HKHerp (November 2020). Conservation Work, Herps of Our Concern. HKHerp. Retrieved from https://en.hkherp.org.hk/conservation 

 

IUCN Red List (November 2020). Paramesotriton hongkongensis. IUCN Red List. Retrieved from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/59460/11945539

 

香港電台 （2020年11月）。生態人 尋找香港瘰螈的足跡。香港電台。取自 https://www.rthk.hk/tv/dtt31/programme/hongkongecologists/episode/685163 

 

潘柏林（2016年10月）。〈近危物種「香港瘰螈」受困水署引水道 事隔1年無寸進改善〉。《蘋果日報》。取自 https://hk.appledaily.com/local/20161023/6M5EUZ7Q6X6EYI4ZEQMC2C74T4/ 

黃樂婷（2017年5月）。〈本週特寫 香港瘰螈〉。可觀自然教育中心暨天文館。取自 http://www.hokoon.edu.hk/weeklysp/1705_2.html