XN000022-1993-11-09 — Page 11

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1993

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STUDY OF CHINESE WHITE DOLPHINS TO START SOON

AN ECOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE CHINESE WHITE DOLPHINS THAT OCCUR TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF LANTAU ISLAND WILL BE CARRIED OUT SOON TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE SPECIES AND TO ENABLE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LONG-TERM CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE ANIMALS.

(AFD) UNIVERSITY

COMMISSIONED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT AND TO BE CONDUCTED BY THE SWIRE MARINE LABORATORY OF THE OF HONG KONG, THE STUDY WILL COST ABOUT $2 MILLION AND WILL TAKE THREE YEARS TO COMPLETE.

SAID

SENIOR CONSERVATION OFFICER OF AFD, MR LAY CHIK-CHUEN, CHINESE WHITE DOLPHINS WERE SEEN REGULARLY IN HONG KONG WATERS, BUT LITTLE WAS KNOWN ABOUT THEIR STATUS AND ECOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS.

THERE IS ALSO A POSSIBILITY THAT THESE HONG KONG DOLPHINS FORM A DISTINCT SUB-SPECIES.

"IN VIEW OF GROWING CONCERN OVER THE CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF VARIOUS MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS ON THE DOLPHIN POPULATION, IT HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED THAT A BASELINE STUDY OF THE SPECIES SHOULD BE CARRIED

OUT.

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PRESENT STUDY IS TO PROPOSE EFFECTIVE AND PRACTICAL MEASURES TO MITIGATE THE IMPACTS OF THE MAJOR DEVELOPMENT ON THE DOLPHIN POPULATION IN NORTH LANTAU AREAS AND TO DEVELOP LONG-TERM CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE SPECIES.

THE

UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF PROFESSOR BRIAN MORTON OF UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, THE STUDY WILL BE JOINTLY UNDERTAKEN BY TWO RESEARCH STUDENTS, MS 1. J PORTER AND MR E M PARSONS, BOTH OF WITOM HAVE EXPERIENCE IN MARINE MAMMAL RESEARCH WORK IN BRITAIN. BE PERIODICALLY JOINED BY LOCAL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS.

THEY WILL

THE STUDY WILL USE BEHAVIOURAL OBSERVATIONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC IDENTIFICATIONS OF FAMILY GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS, SHIP AND AERIAL SURVEYS TO ACCESS THE ECOLOGY OF THE DOLPHINS.

STRANDED, DEAD INDIVIDUALS WILL ALSO BE CAREFULLY EXAMINED TO ASCERTAIN CAUSES OF DEATHS AND OBTAIN INFORMATION ON SEX, AGE, DIET AND DISEASE.

THE STUDY WILL DETERMINE THE NUMBERS AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE POPULATION AND ASSESS THE THREATS CAUSED TO THE DOLPHINS BY RECENT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND OTHER THREATS SUCH AS SEWAGE OUTFALLS, DISTURBANCE, INCIDENTAL CATCHES AND HABITAT LOSS.

BOAT

IT IS HOPED THAT THROUGH THE STUDY, RECOMMENDATIONS CAN BE MADE FOR SHORT, MEDIUM AND LONG-TERM PROPOSALS TO MITIGATE PRESENT, PROJECTED AND FUTURE IMPACTS UPON THE DOLPHINS,

" MR LAY SAID.

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