Marine biologist Taison Chang Kai-tai, chairperson of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, said on Tuesday that authorities have turned down the group’s suggestion of setting up a restricted area for protecting the whale, while he suspected the mammal had died due to human involvement.
His comments came after a Bryde's whale that has been in waters off Sai Kung since the middle of the month was found dead on Monday.
Speaking on a radio program this morning, Chang said whales are not supposed to roam around in inshore waters, and whales in Hong Kong waters are living on borrowed time.
He said the government has been passive in acting, adding that the whale’s life could have been saved if authorities had acted faster.
Chang said the group had suggested to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department to set up a restricted area for protecting the whale, yet the suggestion had been turned down.
He said Shenzhen authorities had previously set up a restricted area for a Bryde's whale that entered its waters in 2021, questioning why Hong Kong authorities could not do the same.
Meanwhile, Philip Wong Wing-hong, general curator for zoological operations and conservation at Ocean Park, said the whale’s carcass brought to a site at High Island Reservoir for dissection was measured at 8 meters long.
He said the sub-adult male whale could have died due to impact with a vessel, with fresh wounds seen on the mammal’s back.
Wong said the dissection could take days, given the whale’s size, whereas an expert team will investigate the whale’s physical condition to learn about the cause of its death.
He also noted that the incident is a wake-up call for authorities to review its whale-watching regulations, while members of the public should be educated to respect marine life.
