Unease at planned reclamation projects in Hong Kong

For many Hongkongers, reclamation brings the promise of more open space, public facilities and, perhaps, a flat in a good location that finally falls within their price range.

For fisherman Lai Tak-chuen, however, reclamation means only misery. "We can tell the water quality is much poorer, compared to 30 years ago," says Lai, chairman of the Ma Wan Fisheries Rights Association. "The fish are less meaty and the death rate has doubled."

Reclamation has for more than a century been the easy option to cope with growing demand for space in Hong Kong.

While the pace of reclamation was slowed down by a social movement anxious to protect Victoria Harbour, the need to build up a land bank in order to drive down runaway property prices has put the possibility of reclamation outside the harbour back on the agenda.

Among six sites being considered in a recent public consultation exercise are Tsing Yi and Sunny Bay on Lantau Island, which squeeze in the Ma Wan fisheries which have already had to cope with nine years of reclamation work at Disneyland. And fishermen aren't the only ones who are unhappy.

Nine green groups oppose the proposals which have sparked critical discussion among urban planners in universities.

Professors of urban planning say the government's recent consultation exercise failed to offer a sound basis for the plans or detail how the reclaimed land would improve people's lives.