In the early 20th century, and before the 1920s, the area was the site of swamp and marsh. The mangrove swamp was initially reclaimed for rice cultivation. During the period between 1938 and 1945 the Deep Bay area was transformed into gei wai. The fish ponds were first used in the 1920s for harvesting of shrimp, fish and crabs. They were historically owned by people from Shek Ha in mainland China and several Tanka families. By 1974 the land use of the area was converted to ponds for raising fresh water fish.[1]
Conservation
A part of "Inner Deep Bay", covering 1,036 hectares and covering an area north of the ponds as well as the northern section of the ponds, was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1986.[2][3]
Lai, Lawrence W.C.; Lam, Ken K.H.; Lorne, F.T.; Wong, S.K. (2008). "Chapter 12. Economics of Gei Wai Shrimp Culture in Hong Kong: From Commercial Aquaculture to Bird Production". In Leung, Ping Sun; Engle, Carole R. (eds.). Shrimp Culture: Economics, Market, and Trade. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 167–186. ISBN9780470276563.
Irving Richard T.A. and Leung Kai Wing 1987. Land-use and land-use change in the reclaimed coastal areas of Deep Bay.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fung Lok Wai.