Environmentalists behind a new book tracing the city's rich maritime history say a huge spill of plastic pellets into the sea has helped raise awareness of the delicate balance between Hong Kong's residents and its greatest natural asset: the harbour and surrounding waters.
Yesterday, hundreds of volunteers continued to clean up millions of plastic pellets that washed up along dozens of beaches after six shipping containers in which they were being carried fell off a ship during Typhoon Vicente last month.
The Food and Health Bureau said some pellets had been found inside fish at Chi Ma Wan, a site for fish farms off southeastern Lantau, and that more than 600kg of pellets had been collected from Lantau and Lamma islands, Peng Chau, Discovery Bay and Cheung Chau by Friday.
The pellets themselves are not harmful, according to officials and the pellets' manufacturer, mainland petrochemical giant Sinopec, but green groups say them can become coated with contaminants while in the water. 'It's a sad thing that happened but it was a great response with groups, many of them young people, self-mobilising to clean up,' said Doug Woodring, founder of Hong Kong-registered charity Ocean Recovery Alliance and co-author of Water Margin: Hong Kong's Link to the Sea.
Woodring collaborated with marine consultant Matthew Flynn on the 172-page bilingual book which features stories and photography about the city's marine ecosystem from its early days as an opium trading hub to the colourful creatures that live underwater to current issues such as sustainable seafood.
About 750 copies of the book, which includes images from award-winning photographer Robin Moyer, will be distributed free to schools. The title alludes to the 14th century novel Water Margin, one of the four great classics of Chinese literature.
Woodring said the book's release was timely as a new chapter in the city's marine history would start at the end of this year when a trawling ban comes into force.