Environment secretary Tse Chin-wan said on Wednesday the government may use elephant mosquitoes that prey on the larvae of other mosquitoes and do not consume blood to control the spread of chikungunya fever.

The method has been adopted in Foshan, Guangdong, where there is a chikungunya outbreak.

Hong Kong recorded another imported case of the mosquito-borne disease a day ago, bringing the total to six so far.

Speaking on an RTHK radio programme, Tse said he welcomed lawmakers' suggestions on how the SAR can carry out its mosquito-control work and that the authorities will opt for those suitable for Hong Kong.

For instance, mosquito-eating fish are more suitable for places with many ponds, he said, pointing out that Hong Kong has a lot of ponds where there are many fish that also prey on mosquito larvae.

"As for how to make use of elephant mosquitoes to eat mosquitoes, that will require the release of a lot of elephant mosquitoes," the secretary for environment and ecology said.

"Whether or not it is suitable for Hong Kong to release that many is something we will look into."

Tse went on to say that the government is now working on a way that could make mosquitoes less likely to carry chikungunya or dengue fever.

He said the process will take time and might only be ready for use next year at the earliest.

The risk of a local outbreak of chikungunya fever cases exists, Tse added, citing the rise in the number of imported cases.

He emphasised that mosquito-prevention work should be carried out by all departments together, adding that a sequential order to the carrying out of tasks might affect efficiency.