For a city with an area of just 1,104 square kilometres, Hong Kong’s biodiversity is surprisingly rich. Our rugged coastlines and lush green country parks are home to many flora and fauna species, including the Chinese white dolphins. But the beloved marine mammals are sadly threatened by our inexorable pace of development and woefully insufficient conservation efforts.

This is reflected in the falling number of dolphins spotted in our waters. According to a monitoring report tabled to the government in July, the endangered species has apparently moved further west of Lantau or even into mainland waters. The combined estimate of dolphins sighted in four survey areas last year was only 65, compared to a previous range of 73 to 88.

Adding to the dismay was an alleged accident involving a dolphin watching tour boat in Tai O recently. The government received a report of a dolphin being injured during a sightseeing trip, although there were conflicting claims as to how the incident happened. The mammal was feared dead after a futile operation to locate it in the following days.

According to conservation group World Wide Fund for Nature, the number of dolphin strandings in 2014 was 12, the highest since 2008. Six dolphin carcasses were found in the first three months of last year. The reports do nothing to improve the perception of the city’s efforts in marine life protection.