Hong Kong is endowed with a rich variety of flora and fauna. There are some 2600 vascular plant species, 450 species of birds, 255 species of butterflies, 23 species of amphibians and some 80 species of reptiles. In order to protect the diversified wildlife as well as the natural landscape, about 40% of its land area and 1.46% of the sea area has been designated as Protected Areas under the laws of Hong Kong or listed under international conventions enacted as earlier as 1970s.
These Protected Areas include the 23 Country Parks, 4 Special Areas, 4 Marine Parks, 1 Marine Reserve, 3 Restricted Areas, and 1 Ramsar Site covering a total area of about 44514 hectares. The Agriculture Fisheries and Conservation Department of the HKSAR Government is the authority responsible for the management of the protected areas. They are managed through varies measures for the purposes of nature conservation, wildlife protection, education, scientific studies, and where suitable, recreation and eco-tourism.
