XN000022-1995-07-12 — Page 56

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Damage to marine ecology by dredging works

Following is a question by Rev the Hon Fung Chi-wood and a reply by the Secretary for Works, Mr James Blake, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

In order to cope with the new airport project and other reclamation works, the Government has carried out large-scale dredging of sea sand in Hong Kong waters, and plans to continue with such operations. As such dredging works will cause tremendous damage to marine ecology, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

of the volume of sea sand obtained from dredging since 1991 and the volume expected to be dredged in the coming few years; whether an assessment has been made on the damage caused by such operation to the marine ecology of Hong Kong? If so, what the results are?

of the details of purchasing sand from China at present, the progress made so far in dredging sea sand in Chinese territorial waters, and the cost of such sand in comparison with that dredged in Hong Kong waters;

whether consideration will be given to using construction wastes or earth excavated from the hillside as the filling material for reclamations, so as to reduce the damage done to marine ecology; and

why such reclamation works rely on sea sand dredged in local waters and not on other filling materials supplied locally or abroad?

Reply:

Mr President,

I would like to point out, first of all, that dredging of marine sand does not cause tremendous damage to the marine ecology, as alleged in the question. So far, we have dredged less than 2.5% of Hong Kong's seabed area, and there has generally been little overall effect on the marine ecosystem of Hong Kong. I will answer the four-part question as follows.