After a 14-year wait, dolphin lovers and conservationists in Hong Kong finally had something to celebrate last September when the government announced plans to designate two new marine parks by 2017 to help safeguard the Chinese white dolphin. But the future of the species is still far from secure, especially as construction of the airport’s controversial third runway is now a significant step closer.

The mega-infrastructure project poses an unprecedented threat to the survival of the species since it would destroy or degrade more than 1,600 hectares of dolphin habitat. The issue featured prominently in local media reports, which along with growing pressure from experts, academics, green groups and the public helped to focus the government’s attention on the dwindling number of dolphins.

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And with the continuous decline in the Pearl River Estuary’s dolphin population over the past decade coupled with an even steeper decline in the number of dolphins in Hong Kong waters, the outlook for the species is nothing short of dire.

So the government’s decision to create two new marine parks off Lantau Island was timely and extremely welcome since no new marine protected areas had been established in Hong Kong since 2001. But the optimism engendered by the announcement was tempered by the Advisory Council on the Environment’s endorsement of the Third Runway Environmental Impact Assessment, which will facilitate the final permit for construction.

The parks themselves face two key challenges. Firstly they need to be larger to encompass more prime dolphin habitat. They should include the dolphin hotspots of Tai O and Yi O and more of west Lantau’s waters as was recommended in an open letter signed by 24 local and international experts and conservationists. And secondly the management inside the parks needs to be clearly defined, with at least one of the parks designated as a no-take MPA.

Equally critical is a comprehensive new management plan for the dolphins. A ‘half-baked’ plan has been in existence for 14 years, but it focuses on monitoring the declining population, and does not have proper mitigation measures in place to tackle the major threats to the species.

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Current dolphin conservation efforts are piecemeal and always lag behind development, so they have been unable to address the cumulative impacts of major construction projects, such as the Hong Kong-Zuhai-Macao Bridge, the proposed third runway and other developments in Hong Kong’s western waters. But the new marine parks show that the government is finally taking a real interest in the plight of the Chinese white dolphin. Now is the time for it to take a few more steps forward to help save the species.

Meet the Chinese white dolphin.







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