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The Marine Department (MD) today (August 11) promoted the message of keeping the sea clean and called on the public to properly handle waste.
At the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter, officers of the MD distributed promotional leaflets to persons-in-charge and workers of fishing vessels to remind them to keep typhoon shelters clean during their activities. Foam plastic boxes for carrying their catches should be properly stored to prevent them from being carried into the sea by wind. Domestic refuse should be placed in plastic bags provided by the MD and then passed to the refuse collection vessels of the MD for handling.
A spokesperson for the MD said, "When marine littering is found, the public should report the case by calling the 24-hour telephone hotline at 1823. Necessary information such as the name of the vessel and its license number, the littering time and venue, and the type of refuse and its quantity should be provided to facilitate necessary follow-up action.
As a participating department of the "Keep Clean 2015@Hong Kong: Our Home" Campaign launched in early August, the MD is enhancing the clean-up of marine refuse accumulating at the foreshore areas, and working together with other departments to raise public awareness on environmental hygiene and call on the public to keep Hong Kong clean.
The spokesperson said, "The MD has enhanced cleaning in target areas with more accumulated marine refuse, and has deployed a foreshore cleaning team to strengthen the clean-up at foreshore areas, in order to support existing cleaning work. To encourage public participation in keeping the sea clean, the MD will liaise with green groups and relevant departments to look into the feasibility of identifying suitable sites for joint activities.
"Moreover, the MD has stepped up on the cleaning of the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal and the China Ferry Terminal. Banners and posters are displayed at various locations in the terminals to remind the public and visitors to keep Hong Kong clean."
The MD is committed to keeping the sea clean, and has been working with other government departments and non-government organisations to organise promotional activities, such as meeting with fishermen's organisations to publicise the message of keeping typhoon shelters clean. The MD also conducts periodic visits to marinas, fish wholesale markets, marine works sites, mariculture zones and anchorages to publicise the message of keeping the sea clean to the persons-in-charge of vessels and workers in these venues. The MD's marine cleaning services contractor provides more than 70 vessels of various types to conduct daily scavenging services in Hong Kong waters. A domestic refuse collection service is also provided free of charge to vessels at anchorages and typhoon shelters.
To maintain the cleanliness of Hong Kong waters, the MD's pollution control staff perform daily patrols at the waters of various districts every day to monitor the condition of the sea surface and the contractor's performance. If any person is found to have thrown litter into the sea, officers of the MD will enforce the law, including issuing a fixed penalty notice or initiating prosecution against the offender.
Ends/Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Issued at HKT 14:50
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