Tai O Plans Spark Concern Over Pink Dolphins

Environmental concern groups in Hong Kong have sounded the alarm over plans to open a key habitat for the territory’s pink dolphin population for yacht tourism.

Members of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society (香港海豚保育學會) and Save Lantau Alliance (守護大嶼聯盟) are calling on the government to rescind its decision allowing visiting yachts to anchor at Tai O (大澳), on the western shores of Lantau Island. Waters around the historic fishing town are considered a critical nursery and feeding ground for pink dolphins, also known as Chinese white dolphins or the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin.

Tai O is one of five designated anchorages that have been newly opened to pleasure boats from outside Hong Kong, according to the Marine Department. This will eliminate the need to arrange berths at yacht clubs or marinas, allowing visitors to drop anchor in local waters.

Conservationists warn that this could harm the delicate marine environment and already vulnerable species, such as the pink dolphin. Anchoring in the area could damage the seabed and stir up sediment containing heavy metals, the HKDCS’s vice-chairperson warned at a press briefing earlier this month. This would worsen water pollution that could affect the dolphins’ reproduction and reduce their food supply.

Pink dolphin sightings around Lantau Island

Despite serving as the official mascot of Hong Kong’s 1997 return to China, the number of pink dolphins has fallen precipitously in recent years, thanks to massive infrastructure projects like the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and a third runway at Hong Kong International Airport. Only 38 are estimated to remain in Hong Kong waters.

Government backers, however, have pushed back against the conservationists’ claims. Steven Ho Chun-yin (何俊賢) of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong argued in a social media post that environmental concerns should not lead to “throwing the baby out with the bathwater.” The legislator, who represents the electoral committee functional constituency, urged the government to press ahead with the plan while continuously optimizing environmental protection measures, striking a balance between development and conservation.