Hello Everyone! Though the scientists call me NL33, I would like you to call me Marvelous Mum. You wouldn’t have thought I look old enough to be a mother would you?
Next to me is my baby boy. He just turned two and a half. Isn’t he adorable! I still have to take him to Coach Forky’s new swimming class in a bit. With so much competition and dangers to us dolphins, I want to make sure he learns the best survival skills.
Coach Forky’s class is starting soon so I’ll try to keep my story short. I’ve led a very modest life in Hong Kong for 20 or so years. I used to live around The Brothers Island but recently moved away. 20 years ago, when I was born, was when we dolphins first realised how scary humans could be. It was when humans first proposed to reclaim land for Chep Lap Kok Airport. At that time, dolphins led a good life and weren’t too concerned by what the humans were doing as they had guaranteed to minimise their disturbance to us. Since they needed some land for the airport we were willing to sacrifice some of the waters if it meant for the better. Who would have thought that what followed would be disastrous. The construction work ruined the environment and a lot of people living in the area left because of the disturbance. Years laters, humans seemed to be apologetic and promised to give us a safe marine park surrounding The Brothers Island in the future.
However, this would not happen until the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is finished in 2016. A lot of dolphins were opposed to this project, but because there weren’t enough of us voicing out our concerns, the humans didn’t hear us. Maybe I should have voiced out mine as well. This bridge has made our path from Shau Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park to The Brothers Island very narrow, making it very difficult to get there. There are numerous vessels travelling and parked around. Plus the pollution they emit is unbearable. When I first had my baby boy, I made the decision to move away from The Brothers Island so that he could grow up in a safer environment. Shau Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park was the best choice. However, there are already lots of other dolphins who live there and the bridge construction is also very close by. Life here isn’t that great as competition for food and space has increased. Some of the dolphins didn’t make it but for my family and my son I am going to hold on. Once the bridge construction was over everything would be better. Or thats what I thought.
Humans have recently announced that they have plans to reclaim more land for a third airport runway. Do they not realise that their financial gains are built on the bases of our livelihoods? Do they know what mutual respect is? Another runway is going to completely demolish the path between Shau Chau and Lung Kwu Chau and The Brothers Island. How are we supposed to return to The Brothers Island and the marine park we were promised if that happens?
We can’t let this happen! Just like that “white paper” which Hong Kong citizens are unsatisfied about, we dolphins are not happy with our rights or rather lack of. One human, nicknamed HK689, believes that “You shouldn’t protect the environment for the sake of protecting the environment”. What sort of bullXXXX is that? Some people have rallied up efforts to raise awareness for us dolphins. It is better known as the “30 Third Runway Victims” Campaign. We can’t keep quiet anymore and we need your help to voice out our cries!
Excuse me, I usually don’t rant so much but we really need your help! Oh crap, time to take my son to his class. See you around!
Flaws of Third Runway EIA Report (9)
As the traveling corridor will be obstructed up to 50% due to the land mass and further by the increased ferry traffic. This will seriously affect the connectivity between existing core areas, and the recovery of dolphin usage in Brothers Island Marine Park upon the completion of Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities reclamation. This serious impact cannot be properly mitigated even with a new marine park connecting the Brothers Islands and Shau Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park.
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