Extinction fear for HK's 'new dolphin species'
BIOLOGISTS believe Hong Kong's pink dolphin is probably a new species to science but there are fears it faces extinction.
Environmental groups say the creature is under threat if the port and airport projects continue to erode its habitat.
There are only 40 to 100 of the dolphins, usually classified as the Indo-Pacific humpback.
The habitat of the pink dolphin in Hong Kong waters is being quickly eroded by projects related to the new Chek Lap Kok airport, the port on east Lantau and related works.
Jo Ruxton, of the World Wide Fund for Nature, said the dolphin was moving further east to escape the airport works, but would soon be sandwiched by planned port works on east Lantau.
It also faced a decline in water quality as mostly untreated sewage was to be pumped north of Lantau.
''We're talking about possible extinction here,'' Ms Ruxton said. ''It just seems that whatever avenue you look at, there's some gloom at the end of it.'' The World Wide Fund for Nature commissioned genetic tests to determine the species of the dolphin after noticing it did not resemble the usual Indo-Pacific humpback.
The dolphin, which comes in pink, grey and mottled, does not have a definite hump.
Tissue from a dead dolphin was sent to Dr Vic Cockback, of South Africa's Port Elizabeth Natural History Museum. He is an expert on the humpback and recently reported that the dolphin did not appear to resemble any other known species. However, more tests need to be done to confirm the findings and the fund has forwarded tissue from another dolphin.
Ms Ruxton said the results would provide evidence of the need to protect the dolphin which currently is feeding around Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau, after escaping site work at its old grounds of north Lantau and the Brothers Islands.
Its new grounds are also earmarked for airport work. Sha Chau is expected to be the site of a fuel receiving station and Lung Kwu Chau will be the site of navigational and meteorological equipment, all of which involve dredging.
The water quality faces decline because of sewage from the airport buildings, Tung Chung new town, a light industry estate, the container port on east Lantau, and Discovery Bay. There are also fears involving aircraft sewage which contains the chemical disinfectant Racasan. Its impact on marine life has not been assessed.
There is room to upgrade the sewage treatment at a later date when populations rise, but Ms Ruxton said this should be installed now to protect the dolphin.
She also called for a halt to the dumping of toxic mud north of Lantau until an assessment was completed on the toxic levels in marine animals.
