'Lantau Plan Threatens Butterfly Areas Nearby'

The environmental group Green Power warned on Thursday that damage caused to nearby environments by the government's "Lantau Tomorrow Vision" project will seriously threaten the city's local butterfly population.

The group said that even though their annual butterfly survey shows numbers are holding steady, large-scale development in the area will endanger species' habitats.

Green Power conducted checks on butterfly numbers in South Lantau for the first time – documenting 74 species, including nine considered either "rare" or "very rare".

The sites were chosen after the government announced plans for the mega construction project near the island.

The group's senior environmental affairs manager, Matthew Sin, said the "Lantau Tomorrow Vision" plan will likely increase the pace of development near these sensitive butterfly habitats:

"We can imagine many butterfly hotspots along south side of Lantau will be threatened by maybe construction of roads, rise in the land prices, and the pace of development will also increase rapidly," he said. "If that happens butterflies will lose their homes."

Green Power's annual butterfly survey covered 12 hotspots – and they recorded nearly 180 different species around the city. Sha Tau Kok, in the northeastern New Territories, had the highest number of "rare" or "very rare" species.

Sin also said the city is seeing more "tropical" species and suggested this may be a result of climate change.