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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1987
RARE MARINE MAMMALS TO BE PRESERVED
MARINE BIOLOGISTS IN THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT ARE PRESERVING THE REMAINS OF TWO RARE VISITORS TO HONG KONG WATERS A PYGMY SPERM WHALE AND A GREY DOLPHIN WHICH WERE FOUND STRANDED IN SHALLOW WATER IN TAI TAM BAY AND TAI PO HOI RESPECTIVELY IN JUNE LAST YEAR.
THEY WERE THE FIRST OF THESE ENDANGERED SPECIES EVER VISITED HONG KONG DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN, SINCE 1973, FOUR SIGHTINGS OF WHALES AND 46 SIGHTINGS OF DOLPHINS IN LOCAL WATERS.
THE PYGMY SPERM WHALE WAS A 2.16 METRE MALE, WEIGHING SOME 200 KG WHILE THE GREY DOLPHIN, ALSO MALE WITH SIMILAR WEIGHT, WAS 2.6 METRES LONG.
IN VIEW OF THEIR HIGH EDUCATIONAL VALUE, THE DEPARTMENT DECIDED TO TURN THEM INTO SKELETON SPECIMENS BY MEANS OF BURYING THE CARCASES AT THE DEPARTMENT'S KAT O FISHERIES SUB-STATION.
THE SKELETONS WILL BE UNEARTHED ON FRIDAY (SEPTEMBER 11). CONDUCTING THE OPERATION WILL BE THE FISHERIES RESEARCH OFFICER, DR PAUL MAR, AND THE CONSERVATION OFFICER, MR RICHARD CHAN.
A VISIT WILL BE ORGANISED BY THE DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVES TO COVER THE UNEARTHING OF THE MAMMALS AT FISHERIES SUB-STATION ON FRIDAY (SEPTEMBER 11) MORNING.
FOR MEDIA THE KAT 0
TRANSPORT FOR MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES WILL LEAVE AFD HEADQUARTERS, CANTON ROAD GOVERNMENT OFFICES, 393. CANTON ROAD, KOWLOON AT 9 AM FOR WONG SHEK PIER IN THE SAI KUNG COUNTRY PARK FROM WHERE A LAUNCH WILL TAKE THE PRESS PARTY TO KAT 0.
IN VIEW OF THE CAPACITY OF THE LAUNCH, IT IS NECESSARY то LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS ΤΟ NOT MORE THAN 30.
INTERESTED MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES ARE REQUESTED TO TELEPHONE THE AFD INFORMATION UNIT AT 3-7332176 BEFORE 5 PM TOMORROW (THURSDAY) FOR ALLOTMENT OF SPACE WHICH WILL BE ON A FIRST-COME-FIRST-SERVED BASIS.
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