2
SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 1974
CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO DISPOSE OF RUBBISH URGED
***
* * * * * *
THE PROBLEM OF WATERBORNE POLLUTION WILL CONTINUE VIRTUALLY UNCHECKED UNTIL EVERYONE MAKES A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT THEIR LITTER OR WASTE PRODUCTS ARE DISPOSED OF IN THE CORRECT. WAY.
THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. MR. JAMES ROBSON, STRESSED THIS TODAY IN THE PRESENTATION OF THE HONG KONG LIFE GUARD CLUB RESCUE AWARDS HELD AT THE LORD MOUNTBATTEN YOUTH CENTRE IN REPULSE BAY.
HE NOTED THAT UNFORTUNATELY MANY PEOPLE HAD THE MISGUIDED BELIEF THAT THE SEA WAS THE ENDLESS DUSTBIN WHERE RUBBISH WOULD JUST MAGICALLY DISAPPEAR ONCE THROWN INTO IT.
+THIS IS NOT SO. ALL TOO OFTEN IT COMES BACK ONTO THE BEACHES AND LOWERS THE QUALITY OF THE WATER WHERE WE SWIM.+
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE MARINE DEPARTMENT OPERATED A SPECIAL HARBOUR CLEANSING FLEET AND THERE WERE PLANS TO EXPAND THIS FLEET TO SERVE SUCH AREAS AS CHAI WAN AND JUNK BAY. BUT EVEN THIS WOULD BE VERY LIMITED.
MR. ROBSON ALSO DREW SPECIAL ATTENTION TO ONE +DISTURBING ASPECT+ WHICH HAD DEVELOPED ALONG WITH THE SUDDEN POPULARITY IN SWIMMING, ALTHOUGH NOT NECESSARILY AS A RESULT OF IT ......+AND THIS IS THE INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF POLLUTION WHICH IS NOW VISIBLE THROUGHOUT THE WATERS OF THE COLONY.+
COMMENTING ON LIFE SAVING AT SEA, THE SECRETARY HIGHLY PRAISED THE CLUB FOR ITS VITAL ROLE IN SAFEGUARDING LIFE THROUGHOUT THE WATERS OF HONG KONG. HE STRESSED THAT IT WAS OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE THAT, IN ITS 18 YEARS OF EXISTENCE, MEMBERS OF THE CLUB HAD SAVED 5,661 LIVES.
THE CLUB, HE CONTINUED, HONOURED CITIZENS WHO HAD RESCUED LIVES AT SEA, AND IT MUST BE A MATTER OF SOME PRIDE THAT EACH YEAR THE MAJORITY OF THE AWARDS WENT TO FISHERMEN.
+THIS ALL TOO CLEARLY DISPELS THE OLD FASHIONED BELIEF THAT IT WAS AGAINST THE WILL OF TIN HAU TO RESCUE PEOPLE WHO WERE DROWNING. IN FACT, IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, 61 LIVES HAVE BEEN SAVED BY FISHERMEN.+
AT THE CEREMONY, MR. ROBSON PRESENTED RESCUE STARS AND CERTIFICATES TO 18 FISHERMEN, FIVE MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE AND A LIFE GUARD CLUB MEMBER.
******
NOTE TO EDITORS:
COPIES OF MR. ROBSON'S FULL TEXT OF SPEECH ARE BOXED SEPARATELY TODAY.
-
13......