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The Government today (August 7) continued to clean up the polypropylene plastic pellets scattered on beaches, at sea and at fish culture zones after Typhoon Vicente.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department collected around 1.4 tonnes of plastic pellets today.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department also collected 4.1 kilograms of plastic pellets on seven beaches today.
The Marine Department has collected about 2.45 tonnes of pellets at sea today.
The Government Flying Service (GFS) and the Marine Police are continuing to assist in locating the scattered plastic pellets. The GFS has searched for plastic pellets in the southern and southwestern water bodies of Hong Kong. The Marine Police has reported the presence of plastic pellets on Po Toi Island and at Sok Kwu Wan, Tung O Wan and Shek Pai Wan on Lamma Island. Relevant departments will continue to closely monitor the distribution of plastic pellets.
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) tested 20 fish samples yesterday and 30 fish samples today. No plastic pellets were detected.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) today received reports by five mariculturists that trace amounts of plastic pellets were found at Ma Wan and Cheung Sha Wan fish culture zones. The pellets have been cleaned up. No abnormal activity or abnormal death of fish has been reported so far. The AFCD collected five live fish samples from Cheung Sha Wan fish culture zone, including red drum, cobia, pompano and star snapper. One gram and 0.4g of the plastic pellets were found in the stomachs of a red drum (weighing 1.2kg) and a cobia (weighing 3kg) respectively. Members of the public should wash fish thoroughly and remove the internal organs before cooking. The food safety risk is believed to be low.
The CFS and the AFCD will step up the monitoring of local fish captured or cultured in Hong Kong waters.
A Government spokesman said that the Government will continue its inter-departmental monitoring operations. Clean-up action will be carried out as soon as plastic pellets are detected so as to minimise the impact of the incident on the environment, food safety and human health.
Ends/Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Issued at HKT 20:55
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