Nice to meet you! I am a Coach Forky otherwise known as NL156 by the scientists. You can recognise me by the small split in have on my dorsal fin
The Hong Kong airport wants to reclaim land for a third runway and this time the area will be an astonishing 650 hectares. The currently 130 hectare reclamation for a boundary crossing facility taking place east of the airport has already increased vessel density in nearby waters. If a third runway is to be reclaimed, the situation is only going to get a lot worse. We dolphins are going to have to learn how to try avoid these monstrous vessels and I am here to teach you want you need to know!
So before we even begin our journeys, we have to first determine what vessels are around and how many of them. The most deadly type of vessels are high speed ferries which act like they are the kings of the ocean. If you get hit by one, well that’s the last anyone will see of you. So be extra alert of their movement and speed to be able to dive down and avoid them in time. Other transportation boats are pretty fast as well and always change their course of direction. It’s best to keep your distance and be careful because there are lots of them. Larger construction boats are usually much slower but there are still plenty of them around. They also tend to stay around for a much longer period and their large size easily becomes an obstacle in your path. Keep in mind that their engines emit lower frequency sounds than other boats which make them seem closer than they really are. Since there are so many of these various vessels around you may be tempted to swim in Urmston Road. However, beware, that is Hong Kong’s busiest marine traffic channel is full of high speed ferries and large cargo vessels. Only use it as a last resort!
All in all, just remember to always SWIM AWAY when you see any vessels coming your way. If you look ahead of us right now, there are 10 vessels in our way home. Perfect opportunity to practice. May the force be with us. Ready, one, two, three and go!!
Flaws of Third Runway EIA Report (7)
The EIA report assumes that since construction vessels are slow moving, they will not affect dolphins in the surround waters which is not true. The EIA report also ignores the fact that during construction phase there will also be lots of transportation boats for workers and these travel at much faster speeds which will affect marine life especially Chinese white dolphins when moving through their habitat.
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