Good morning, Cherry, NL93 here with Dolphin TV. Today we have a special report about Hong Kong Airport’s proposed third runway.
According to the EIA report published last Friday, the damage the reclamation for their third runway will bring to us Chinese white dolphins was determined as “acceptable”. This is a ridiculous as there will be high levels of noise and construction pollution which are not mediated by any preventative measures during the construction period
The EIA report suggests that we will swim to Shau Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park and will return to the waters surrounding the airport which will be established as a new marine park after the construction. Dolphins residing in North Lantau waters are very unpleased with the statement. It will be very difficult to return to the waters that no longer exist and the future marine park around the third runway will be less than an ideal habitat for them.
Those dolphins also pointed out, if all of them were forced to relocate to Shau Chau and Long Kwu Chau Marine Park for 7 years, there would be a problem with overcrowding. Living space would decrease and competition for prey would increase significantly, making it very difficult for them to live a comfortable life. The construction for the third runway will also be taking place less than 1km away from the marine park. There will be a great deal of noise and pollutants from the construction itself in addition to the increase of construction and transportation vessels. All of these factors will be a great disruption and danger to their livelihoods.
As a countermeasure, the airport authority proposed to establish a 2400 hectare marine park after the third runway is completed in 7 years. It may sound like a pretty good deal, but after 7 years of heavy construction, will the marine park really be useful? All the waters and environment surrounding north of lantau will have been destroyed and polluted. The dolphins are very doubtful about the quality and effectiveness of the marine park they will be given. Would you tell a bird to hide behind a tree, burn the rest of the forest then tell the bird the forest is now all yours? Then how can you empty our oceans then tell us that we can live happily ever after here?
Dolphins of North Lantau waters are asking for your help to voice their cries. Please tell EPD that their EIA report does not qualify or cannot minimise the damage the third runway reclamation will bring to marine life especially to Chinese white dolphins.
Brought to you by Dolphin TV, reported by Cherry
Flaws of Third Runway EIA Report (8)
The location of the proposed marine park after the third runway reclamation is not well justified. The area has already been damanged and heavily disturbed in the past due to the high speed ferry traffic from Sky Pier along with other vessel activities. In addition, the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities reclamation work and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge has also seriously affected dolphin activity and movement. If the establishment of a marine park aims to deal with the impact of habitat loss and disturbance to the traveling corridor, the current marine park proposal will not solve these issues, and is not well justified in the EIA report. For the habitat loss, we need to look at what kind of habitat has been lost. It is clear that dolphins utilizes the proposed reclamation area as important night-time habitat and day-time traveling habitat. There is much ambiguity as to whether the new marine park can serve these functions AT ALL during and after construction.
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