Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, Greenpeace and the Conservancy Association say abandoned fish ponds in area earmarked for tech hub still have ecological value.
The Advisory Council on the Environment has unanimously endorsed the environmental impact assessment report on the San Tin Technopole with eight conditions.
The loss in park space includes 90 hectares of fish ponds to be filled for the San Tin Technopole project, a development aimed at attracting tech firms to Hong Kong.
One of the top questions with the Northern Metropolis is how the government will protect irreplaceable biodiversity assets while planning huge building works. Early indications are that hi-tech dreams will win out over the responsibilities Hong Kong has to protect biodiversity of global importance.