Hong Kong's iconic dolphins sinking under 'develop first, conserve later' approach
Samantha Lee calls for immediate government action to protect their habitat in a race against time
The year did not start well for the Chinese white dolphins in Hong Kong waters. On January 1, a dead juvenile female was found being circled and mourned by six other dolphins in the waters off Lantau Island.
After hearing the news from a member of the public, the authorities headed to the site and picked up the carcass. The body was then sent to the Polytechnic University for a post-mortem imaging analysis known as a "virtopsy".
The results showed multiple severe traumas, internal bleeding, bone fractures throughout the body and disconnection of the skull from the first vertebra. All these findings suggest the dolphin was killed in a collision with a vessel operating at high speed.
This distressing marine traffic accident underlines the fact that Chinese white dolphins continue to suffer from threats from human activities that remain unaddressed by the authorities.
Hong Kong waters are becoming ever more congested with endless reclamation projects and increasing marine traffic. Today, more than 800 trips a day are made by the various types of vessels running between Hong Kong, Macau and other cities in the Pearl River Delta.
Marine traffic in Hong Kong's western waters has doubled since 1999. The current high-speed ferry routes traverse prime dolphin habitats around Lantau Island, increasing the risk of the animals being hit, injured or killed. Scars and marks, possibly caused by boat propellers, can sometimes be observed on the fins and bodies of the dolphins.