Caixin Weekly | Proposed Shantou Liuhuiwei Land Reclamation Project Sparks Controversy over Habitat Threats to Black-faced Spoonbills and Chinese White Dolphins (AI Translation)

财新周刊｜被指会破坏黑脸琵鹭、中华白海豚栖息地 汕头六合围拟填海项目引争议

The proposed land reclamation project at the Liuhuwei site in Shantou, Guangdong has garnered significant public attention due to its potential environmental impact. Initiated by the Shantou Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources, the project is set to reclaim 31.8 square kilometers of marine area in phases, despite ecological protection red lines [para. 1][para. 2]. The region, characterized by rich biodiversity and critical ecological habitats, serves as a home to diverse wildlife, including the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin and various bird species [para. 3][para. 4].

Despite strong support from some local government officials, like Huang Bingzhang, who advocate for the project's economic benefits, conservation groups, including Guangzhou Zhuwan Renhe Ecology and Environment Research Center (CECA) and Friends of Nature, have voiced significant concerns about its environmental repercussions [para. 2][para. 3][para. 4][para. 6]. These organizations argue that the project could severely damage wetland ecosystems, compromising habitats for protected species such as the black-faced spoonbill and Chinese white dolphin, and violating state regulations that limit land reclamation [para. 4][para. 9]. Concerns have been exacerbated by a history of large-scale reclamation projects in China, which often proceeded without proper approvals and caused substantial ecological harm [para. 9][para. 10].

Guangdong Province, from where this controversial project emerges, is actively advancing several similar reclamation strategies, in dialogue with the Ministry of Natural Resources, aiming to integrate these into national strategic plans [para. 12][para. 13]. However, many of these projects, including Liuhuwei, face stiff resistance due to their potential to disrupt critical ecological zones [para. 13][para. 14]. This tension reflects a broader national policy to restrict reclamation endeavors unless they are aligned with major state strategic goals, as reiterated in recent policy documents by the State Council [para. 11][para. 12].

One of the major concerns involves the critically endangered Chinese white dolphins, whose populations have significantly decreased due to urban and industrial advancements that have shrunk and fragmented their natural habitats [para. 17][para. 19]. The proposed reclamation threatens to exacerbate these detrimental trends by further reducing these habitats, crucial for their survival [para. 19]. Conservationists stress the urgency to protect these habitats, highlighting the dolphin population's precarious conditions marked by low numbers and habitat fragmentation [para. 19][para. 20][para. 21].

Adjacent to Liuhuwei, there is also Guangdong's second-largest seagrass bed at Yifeng Creek, vital for marine biodiversity and carbon sequestration [para. 24][para. 25]. The potential encroachment through reclamation poses threats to these significant ecosystems, as previous similar projects have led to irreversible habitat loss [para. 27]. Efforts by local authorities to address these environmental impacts involve conducting surveys and potentially adjusting project plans, yet the significance of these responses remains debatable amidst broad ecological concerns [para. 28].

Overall, the reclamation project's dispute underscores a critical clash between development ambitions and ecological conservation, reflective of broader challenges faced by environmental management practices in rapidly developing regions [para. 33]. The situation at Liuhuwei signifies the need for a balance between socio-economic progress and environmental sustainability, ensuring future developments consider long-term ecological impacts [para. 33].