Why is Hong Kong releasing 83,500 young fish into its waters?

Airport Authority also says it has finished deploying 500 artificial reefs as ‘housing’ for fish in waters surrounding facility

Hong Kong authorities have released 83,500 juvenile fish into waters near the airport and other locations as part of a string of events intended to enrich marine resources.

The initiatives by the Airport Authority and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department on Friday marked the annual National Fish Releasing Day on June 6.

The authority, which oversees the city’s airport, released 60,000 “larger-than-fist-sized” fish into a vessel-prohibited area west of the airport’s central runway and 1,000,000 tiger prawn larvae into waters off neighbouring coasts.

The department, meanwhile, introduced 23,500 fry fish, made up of five native species, into the waters around Tung Ping Chau and adjacent to Shenzhen in Mirs Bay.