TNAG-1735-FCO40-2448-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 71

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — 1 June 1988

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SECRETARY FOR Health and WELFARE: Sir, this is a very helpful suggestion and I am sure that the director will consider it carefully.

MR. YEUNG: Sir, will the Secretary elaborate on the long-term and the short-term measures likely to be introduced in future to alleviate the shortage problem?

SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE: Sir, I would not really like to anticipate the advice which the two committees are about to give but perhaps I can give some idea of the sort of measures which are being considered. There is a possibility of what are known as 'blisters' added to the existing courses. This means a short-term addition of numbers to the training courses at the training institutions. That is one short-term measure that could be adopted. Another is the continued recruitment of non-social work trained graduates, though this does not always find favour with the profession. In the longer term, of course, the major change would have to be an increase in the numbers of students on the social work courses organised by the two universities and the two poly- technics. But it would be necessary to consider this in the light of the coming triennium and that would be a longer-term measure.

Seafood contamination

4. DR. CHIU asked: Since, as a result of water pollution, substances which are harmful to the human body if accumulated beyond a certain quantity are sometimes found in the tissues of fish and other seafoods, will Government inform this Council what measures are being taken to ensure that people of Hong Kong are protected from the hazards posed by seafoods containing such substances and whether, for the purpose of enhancing public health, consideration will be given to providing information to the general public as to which kinds of seafoods have been found to be contaminated and whether they are still safe for human consumption?

SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE: Sir, as a result of pollution of Hong Kong's coastal waters, seafood may be contaminated by three types of harmful substance. First, pathogenic bacteria and viruses which are present in human sewage and livestock waste; secondly, algal toxins produced by certain types of phytoplankton which may bloom and form red tides because of nutrient pollution; and thirdly, heavy metals such as organochlorines and other chemicals originating from industrial waste. About 90 per cent of seafood consumed in Hong Kong is either imported or obtained from deep sea fishing, and therefore should not be affected by local pollution. The remaining 10 per cent consists of locally caught finfish and the products of mariculture zones, which are generally sited as far as possible from densely populated areas and industrial centres.

The greatest potential health risk to the public is the consumption of polluted shellfish such as oysters, mussels and clams, which can accumulate harmful substances due to their filter feeding habits. The collection of shellfish from