AAHK released its Third Runway Environmental Impact Assessment Report today, proposing to designate a new Marine Park to connect the existing Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Parks with the planned Brothers Islands Marine Park as a mitigation measure for the construction of Third Runway.  This new park will only be designated after the completion of the project in 2023. 

WWF-Hong Kong is shocked and deeply disappointed by this proposal, which raises serious doubts about AAHK’s determination and sincerity to conserve Hong Kong's Chinese white dolphins. WWF warns that the Chinese white dolphins (CWDs) may disappear from Hong Kong waters before this Marine Park is designated in ten years’ time.  WWF urges the authorities to do the following: (a) seriously evaluate the effectiveness of dolphin conservation mitigation measures already adopted in current and previous development projects, (b) learn from past mistakes, and (c) immediately designate two Marine Parks in Hong Kong’s western waters.

1. Lessons learned from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Project

The Brothers Islands Marine Park was meant to act as a compensation measure for the HZMB project by protecting one of the core areas for Chinese white dolphins (CWD). This Marine Park will be designated after the completion of the project in 2016. However, survey data shows that the number of CWDs has been declining since construction activities began, and in recent months, very few dolphins have been sighted in this area.

Concerns have been raised regarding the viability and effectiveness of the future Brothers Islands Marine Park – experts doubt whether dolphins will return and utilize any areas of the new Marine Park after the completion of the construction project.

The authorities and AAHK should urgently and thoroughly evaluate the effectiveness of the mitigation measures adopted in current and previous development projects and avoid re-adopting those for the Third Runway project which will not effectively conserve the environment.

2. Immediate Designation of Marine Parks

The population of CWDs in Hong Kong has decreased dramatically in the last decade. Simultaneously, the intensity of threats has increased: habitat loss from coastal development, disturbance from marine traffic, underwater noise and water pollution. The reclamation work involved in the Third Runway project will add to these threats and place the existing small and unhealthy dolphin population under further stress. The ultimate result will be a limited chance that any CWD will return to the area and use the future Marine Park proposed in the Third Runway EIA.

In order to enhance the population capacity of the dolphins in the local waters, immediate designation of west Lantau and the Soko Islands as Marine Parks is needed as these areas form the largest, unprotected core habitat still used by the CWD in Hong Kong. Inside these Marine Parks, no development will be allowed, vessel speed restrictions will apply and fishing will be regulated; together, these measure will provide the highly-stressed dolphin population with a safe sanctuary and improve their chances of survival.