Avian Flu Outbreak
In February 2008, the Hong Kong government closed Mai Po for 21 days following the discovery of a Great Egret infected with H5N1, also known as avian flu. The closing marked the fourth in as many years and was consistent with the government's policy of closing Mai Po whenever an infection is discovered within a 3 kilometer radius of the premises. The World Wide Fund for Nature criticized the government, however, for what it called a discrepancy between the standards for closing Mai Po and the comparably less strict standards applied in urban areas. The World Wide Fund for Nature wanted a compensate of 1 million Hong Kong dollars. WWF then claimed that the government had not compensated it for lost income.
Read more about this topic: Mai Po Marshes