Eight Projects Granted Over HK$9.8 Million from the Marine Ecology and Fisheries Enhancement Funds

23 Jul 2018

Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) announced today that more than HK$9.8 million in total has been granted from the Marine Ecology Enhancement Fund (MEEF) and Fisheries Enhancement Fund (FEF) to eight projects for a 12-month period with effect from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019.

The funded projects are managed and conducted by universities, research groups, or associations from the fisheries industry. Under the MEEF, some HK$6.55 million have been granted to six projects, with research subjects related to Chinese White Dolphins, mangrove ecosystems and Chinese horseshoe crabs, among others. Two projects related to pearl farming and technological applications for supporting local fisheries sales have received about HK$3.25 million in total from the FEF.

Applications for the MEEF and FEF are reviewed and approved by their respective independently operated Fund Management Committees (FMCs), based on criteria in relation to the objectives, past performance, methodology, manpower, resources and budget of the proposed projects. Members of the FMCs comprise scholars and experts from related fields, as well as representatives from green groups and fishermen’s associations. The progress and outcomes of the funded projects are monitored by the FMCs.

The FEF is now accepting the second round of applications of this project year. Applications submitted on or before 31 July 2018 will be considered in the next round of assessment by the end of 2018. Meanwhile, the MEEF for the 2019/20 project year will be open for applications within this year, with details available later.

The MEEF and FEF are independent funds set up in accordance with the conditions of the Environmental Permit for the expansion of Hong Kong International Airport into Three-runway System, with the aim of enhancing the marine environment, ecology and fisheries resources in the vicinity of the project area.

The MEEF supports conservation objectives and initiatives by providing support for the conservation and enhancement of marine habitats and resources, scientific research and studies and environmental education and eco-tourism. The FEF supports initiatives related to sustainable management and enhancement of fisheries resources, sustainable fisheries operations, and promotion of fisheries-related business opportunities and measures that may benefit the fisheries operations. The AA has injected a total of HK$400 million into the MEEF and FEF.

Approved funded projects for the MEEF and FEF are listed below, among which three multi-year projects have been granted funding for their second phase. More details about the projects can be found at: http://env.threerunwaysystem.com/en/meef/meef_projects.html and http://env.threerunwaysystem.com/en/fef/fef_projects.html

Approved Applications for MEEF

Applicant Organisation	Project Title
Integrated Medimaging Institute Limited	Virtopsy for characterization and documentation of injury and death caused by human interaction, in stranded Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in the Hong Kong waters*
Cetacea Research Institute Limited	Conservation Ecology of Chinese White Dolphins across the Pearl River Estuary Phase 2: Population Parameters, Demographic Structure and Habitat Requirements*
The University of Hong Kong	Unravelling the strength behind the ecosystem resilience of Tung Chung mangrove: A high-resolution mapping of its food web
South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute (SCSFRI), Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences	Long-term monitoring of population dynamics of Chinese White Dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in Lingding Bay of the Pearl River Delta region: the second stage
SMRU (HONG KONG) Limited	What Do Dolphins Do At Night?: filling knowledge gaps in night time range and behaviour activities of Chinese white dolphins in Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University	Impact of microplastics on the Chinese horseshoe crab Tachypleus tridentatus in Hong Kong western waters

Approved Applications for FEF

Applicant Organisation	Project Title
Aberdeen Fisherwomen Association Limited	Pearl Farming Pilot Project*
Guangdong Ocean University	Development of Mobile Application to Support the Sales of Local Capture Fisheries

Note: *Second phase of project