With a view to updating the Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan of Hong Kong, the Government today commenced a public consultation to gather views from the community.

The consultation document has proposals spanning four strategic areas: nature conservation, deepening mainstreaming, capacity building, and collaborative partnering.

To conserve nature, the Government proposes to continue taking measures to ensure the preservation of healthy ecosystems, for example exploring the implementation of “area-based” conservation measures, restoring degraded or declining habitats, and strengthening the protection of species of concern.

Separately, the Government proposes to further promote the adoption of biodiversity-friendly practices across all sectors of society. It plans to do so through mobilising resources to support the sustainable use and conservation of natural resources, encouraging various sectors to leverage biodiversity opportunities, and supporting communities to develop stewardship responsibilities towards nature.

In terms of capacity building, the Government proposes to continue strategically investing resources in promoting research and nurturing talent. Initiatives include enabling innovative and high-quality research, promoting knowledge transfers and talent development, and strengthening institutions.

Furthermore, the Government proposes to foster a culture of collaboration to extend the benefits of nature conservation to broader communities, for example, by jointly taking actions with cross-boundary and international partners, promoting the exchange of experience and information, and encouraging cross-disciplinary collaborations.

The Government added that it will complete updating the Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan later this year to step up work on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, and to support global and national initiatives.

Members of the public can send in their views by post, by email or by fax on or before July 11. The Government will also invite organisations from relevant sectors to attend consultation sessions to collect views.