2
TUESDAY. AUGUST 8. 1989
SWIMMERS GIVEN SAFETY ADVICE ON DANGEROUS FISH
A GOVERNMENT FISHERIES EXPERT THIS (TUESDAY) EVENING ADVISED PEOPLE TO SWIM ONLY AT GAZETTED BEACHES AS AN IMPORTANT PRECAUTION AGAINST AN ATTACK BY SUCH DANGEROUS SEA CREATURES AS SHARKS, BARRACUDAS AND MORAY EELS.
THE SENIOR FISHERIES OFFICER OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT. DR PAUL MAK. SAID THAT SWIMMERS' SAFETY WAS BETTER PROTECTED AT GAZETTED BEACHES.
THIS WAS BECAUSE LIFEGUARDS THERE WOULD SOUND THE ALARM WHEN SEA CREATURES WERE SIGHTED AND IF ANY SWIMMER WAS UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ATTACKED, HE COULD GET IMMEDIATE HELP.
"TRY NOT TO SWIM AT NIGHT BECAUSE YOU WILL LOSE THE SAFEGUARD WHICH YOU GET DURING THE DAY TIME.
IT
ALTHOUGH THE CHANCE OF AN INCIDENT INVOLVING THESE SEA CREATURES AT PUBLIC BEACHES 15 VERY REMOTE. PREVENTION IS ALWAYS BEST, HE SAID.
|
SPEAKING AT A DINNER GATHERING OF THE LIONS CLUB OF THE NEW TERRITORIES. DR MAK SAID THERE HAD BEEN THREE CONFIRMED SIGHTINGS OF SHARKS IN THE PAST 10 YEARS, TWO IN THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT AND THE OTHER IN SAI KUNG.
ALTHOUGH THERE HAD ALSO BEEN ALLEGED SHARK SIGHTINGS IN MIRS BAY AREA, THERE WERE NO OFFICIAL RECORDS TO CONFIRM THESE.
"THE ONLY FATAL SHARK ATTACK IN THE PAST 10 YEARS OCCURRED AUGUST 1979 IN A NON-GAZETTED BEACH AT HOI HA, SAI KUNG.
IN
"ALL THESE HAPPENINGS HAVE INDICATED THAT SHARKS ARE MORE COMMON IN WATERS TO THE EAST AND SOUTH OF HONG KONG." DR MAK SAID.
AT PRESENT, MORE THAN 350 SPECIES OF SHARKS ARE KNOWN IN THE WORLD AND EIGHT ARE CONSIDERED MOST DANGEROUS. THESE ARE THE GREAT WHITE. THE TIGER, THE HAMMERHEAD, THE ATLANTIC MAKO, THE DUSKY, THE WHITE TIP, THE BULL, AND THE LEMON SHARKS.
DR MAK SAID: "SHARKS ARE VERY MOBILE AND HONG THE GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF SIX OF THE EIGHT SPECIES, INCLUDING THE GREAT WHITE.
KONG IS WITHIN MOST DANGEROUS
"THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT HAS CONDUCTED MANY FISHING OPERATIONS AND THE RECORDS SHOW THAT AT LEAST FOUR SPECIES HAVE BEEN CAUGHT INSIDE HONG KONG TERRITORIAL WATERS AND THEY ARE ALL SMALL-SIZED AND HARMLESS.
T
IN MORE DISTANT AND OFFSHORE WATERS. WE HAVE CAUGHT 27 SPECIES AND SIX OF THEM, INCLUDING THE TIGER SHARK. ARE
DANGEROUS."
POTENTIALLY
/HE POINTED