Hong Kong authorities will cordon off parts of the shoreline of Sharp Island in Sai Kung to protect corals, with 1,000 visitors expected in the area each day during the coming Labour Day “golden week” holiday.

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department also said on Monday that 11 officers would patrol the island daily during the holiday, while five marine staff – two snorkellers and three kayakers – would monitor the sea for any disruptive visitor behaviour.

The department said it would step up education on protecting marine life and was seeking to turn the bio-sensitive area that was popular among tourists into a marine protected region so conservation laws could be enforced.

Labour Day, May 1, is a statutory public holiday in Hong Kong and also marks the start of the mainland’s five-day golden week break.

The Immigration Department estimates that Hong Kong residents and visitors will make 6 million passenger trips – inbound and outbound – by air, land and sea from May 1 to 5, an increase of about 7 per cent over the same period last year. About 84 per cent of the trips are expected to be made through land checkpoints.

Jim Chu Chun-wa, assistant director for fisheries and marine conservation, said the department estimated a daily peak of 1,000 visitors on the island during the golden week holiday.