Hong Kong was once home to a vibrant civil society sector, but scores of groups have closed since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020, with hundreds of democracy activists arrested, jailed or in exile.

Harbour protection was one of the city's major activist causes following the former British colony's handover to China in 1997.

But the Society for Protection of the Harbour (SPH) said Friday it ceased operations, citing a law passed this year that made it easier for the government to pursue land reclamation in Victoria Harbour.

SPH said in legal advice offered to government leaders that the amendments violate the fundamental principle of public law "by placing the roles of proposer, evaluator and ultimate decision-maker all within the power of government decision-makers".

It received no response and the bill passed in May, it said.

Hong Kong Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn told pro-Beijing newspaper Wen Wei Po in June that when amending the law, the government had encountered "soft resistance" -- a vague term often used by politicians to label anything seen as ideologically at odds with Beijing.

Linn pointed to a social media post produced by SPH which implied that the government's reclamation posed a danger to Victoria Harbour.

The city's Development Bureau said in a statement on Friday that it appreciated SPH's contributions to harbourfront affairs over the years.

But it added the bill has "strengthened regulations on large-scale reclamation" in the Harbour.

SPH said it hopes the city's harbourfront, a major tourist attraction, will one day be declared a "National Treasure of China" and "protected and preserved for the benefit of the present and future generations".