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13th March, 2000

Chairman of the Advisory Council on the Environment 

Director of Conservation, Agricultural and Fisheries  

Director of Environmental Protection   

Secretary for Economic Services

Dear Sirs

Proposed Cable Car Link at Lantau

            We learnt from the newspapers that the Government was inviting expression of interest and preliminary proposals for funding, design, construction and operation of a cable car project which links Tung chung through Chek Lap Kok to Ngong Ping.

            Although it is still early to discuss about the alignment of the cable car link at the present stage, we think that it is our obligation to bring to your attention to the fact that the piece of land stretching from the Lo Han Temple at Shek Mun Kap to the top of the Po Lin Monastery is actually the natural habitat of Troides butterflies ¡V the only species which are found and protected under the Law in Hong Kong.

            According to field trip records of our Society, there is a very large population of Troides butterflies, so called Golden Birdwing namely Troides helena and Troides aeacus of the family Papiliondiae inhabiting at the vicinity of Ngong Ping plateau. These Troides butterflies are protected under the endangered species list enacted under Chapter 187 of the Animals And Plants (Protection of Endangered Species) Ordinance. At the same time, they are protected by the Convention on International Trades of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) listed on February 16, 1979.

            We sincerely hope that the Government would take a serious attitude to preserve and protect these butterflies by conducting in-depth environmental assessment on the impact of the cable car project to the surrounding fauna and flora, especially the Troides butterflies. We would like to point out that whichever the future contractors of the project are, they should develop a comprehensive plan to protect the natural environment so that to preserve our lovely butterflies.

Yours faithfully

Signed by HKLS  

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