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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): According to my understanding, people consume intestines of fresh water fish rather than seawater fish. I think it is very dangerous if people consume intestines of salt water fish. Just think what is inside the intestines. Clams and oysters are dangerous because their intestines cannot be separated. If you eat an oyster, you will eat it and its intestines.
MR. WONG SIU-YEE (in Cantonese): When I read the answer prepared by the USD, I hope that Professor LEUNG will make the following clarification. In paragraph 4 it is mentioned that 'in respect of seawater in restaurants' fishtanks now that there has been a linkage established', does it mean that live marine products are contaminated by seawater so that the germs get into the fish tanks. If the seawater is contaminated, is the seawater imported or drawn from our territory? If contaminated seawater came from overseas, then our water is still clean. But if the seawater is drawn from our territory, then the seawater quality is involved. I hope that Professor LEUNG will clarify this point.
PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): Thank you, Mr. Wong. I think paragraph 4 is not related to Madam TANG's question, so I left it out earlier. But since Mr. WONG asks the follow-up question, I will try to answer that question. The water quality in Hong Kong, especially in the typhoon shelters, the five places mentioned is poor, you can see with your eyes that there is a problem with them. If you get water from these places for rearing fish, the danger may probably be removed if you cook them thoroughly, but nevertheless, this should not be allowed. But it doesn't mean that drawing water from somewhere else would be much better. I think the present cholera outbreak may be related to the presence of raw sewage in the water of the Aberdeen area, and it may not only be related to the consumption of seafood. The cholera bacteria were discovered in a fishtank in a restaurant. It doesn't mean that those who contracted cholera and who lived in Aberdeen contracted cholera because of having consumed seafood from that restaurant from that particular fishtank. It is right that seawater in the Southern District is related to the spread of cholera. There are other reasons, for example, the spread by mosquitoes, flies, etc. We have to keep the water in the fishtanks clean; this will help to prevent further occurrence of cholera. Another approach is to deal with the problem of live marine products. Live marine products may not be affecting all of our citizens, but we must not let the problem deteriorate.
MR. WONG SIU-YEE (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I have a short follow-up to clarify my doubt. We know that many marine products are imported from overseas. When they are imported, they are reared in seawater. The seawater might not be drawn from our local water. Traces of overseas seawater might be present in the marine products. How can it be ascertained that the germs came from the seawater in our territory instead of water from overseas?
PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): I think the question is a deviation from the present question. We do not believe that if we keep the water source clean, then we can keep the fish clean. If you have clean seawater but leave it in there for several days and put all types of fish, including fish with ill health, then after a few days, the seawater in the fishtank will be contaminated. The Department is now trying out the use of ultra-violet lights to kill germs, and this is a practical approach.
THE HON. LI WAH-MING (in Cantonese): I have a few questions. First, the two Municipal Services Departments are taking water samples from the fishtanks in the restaurants. I want to know what testing is being done? And according to what legislation do the Departments carry out such testing? At present, there is no control on the source of water. And if there are any germs in the water, will the restaurant operators be prosecuted and under which ordinance will they be prosecuted? I also read from the report that using flush water to keep seafish is against the law. Is there such a piece of legislation? Many restaurant operators said that they have filter systems, and the seawater in the fish tanks should be safe. Can Professor LEUNG enlighten us on whether those filter systems are good enough to keep the seawater clean in the fish tanks?
PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The question is also outside the reference of Miss TANG's question. The inspection of seawater in fishtanks is in response to the cholera outbreak. It is in line with the measures of preventing the spread of cholera rather than the question of clean seawater. The presence of a filter system is better than no filter system, but it is not a perfect guarantee. And the question of whether there should be perfect guarantees is debatable, and there are a lot of other associated scientific questions. What is your second question?
THE HON. LI WAH-MING (in Cantonese): The second question is flush water.
PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): According to my understanding, there is no legislation preventing anybody from using flush water to keep live fish. And for keeping live fish for ornamental purposes, it is common for people to use flush water.
MR. DANIEL WONG KWOK-TUNG (in Cantonese): Professor Leung has spoken at length on the issue and suggested that food be cooked thoroughly. But I find it difficult to accept this advice. The Urban Council is responsible for the control of hygiene of restaurants. And if we ask the public to cook food thoroughly, it seems that we are evading our responsibility. Whether we call Hong Kong an epidemic port or not, we have to face the problem squarely. In Manila, there are over 20 cases of cholera, and with flooding in South China, it is difficult to say whether there will be an outbreak of epidemic in China. We are looking at our own territory and are dealing with water in our territory. But how about those epidemics that will be brought into Hong Kong? How are we going to deal with these epidemics coming from abroad?
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