The overcrowding at a Unesco-listed geopark in Hong Kong during the National Day “golden week” holiday is not expected to have a “significant impact” on coral colonies, authorities have said, stressing that they will assess the health of the reefs near an outlying island and review crowd control measures.

Patrick Lai Chuen-chi, deputy director of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, said on Monday that staff would conduct an assessment of the coral reefs off Sharp Island in Sai Kung “as soon as possible”.

He added that the department regularly monitored the reefs and would send staff to take photographs to check for irregular “special situations”, following recent reports of tourists trampling on them.

“The coral reef is quite a distance from the beach at Sharp Island, so we believe the impact on the coral reef should not be significant,” Lai told a radio show.

The green group noted that over 4,600 people arrived on the island on October 1, the first day of China’s golden week holiday, posing a threat to the ecologically sensitive area within the geopark.

The Post also found on Saturday that some tourists had been camping, cooking over open fires and removing marine creatures washed ashore on the island, potentially violating park rules.