Hong Kong marine animal experts call for clear guidelines on whale watching as city waits for necropsy results
- Establishing restriction zones is ‘an absolute minimum that needs to be introduced’, says founder of non-governmental advocacy group
- Researcher says convincing vessel captains and members of public to comply with rules will be difficult
Marine mammal experts have said clear guidelines on whale watching and law enforcement were needed in Hong Kong as the city waited for the results of a necropsy performed on an animal which died soon after being spotted in local waters last month.
Researcher Lindsay Porter told the Post that while it was necessary to have a mandatory whale- and dolphin-watching code of conduct in Hong Kong, the crux of the problem would be getting the vessel captains and members of the public to understand and comply with the rules.
“Enforcement agencies must be given a clear mandate on how to ensure regulations are adhered to plus the extra resources – funds, people and logistics – required to perform what would be a new role,” said Porter, who has been conducting research on dolphins in Hong Kong for almost three decades and has a doctorate in marine mammals.
The senior research scientist at Southeast Asia Marine Mammal Research said guidelines from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) were good references for Hong Kong but cautioned there was not a one-size-fits-all solution.
The commission is an intergovernmental body that focuses on the conservation and management of whaling.
“If invited by the government, IWC whale-watching experts will assist in developing guidelines,” Porter said, adding that they are “straightforward” to develop.
The death of the Bryde’s whale off Sai Kung on Monday sparked discussions over the effectiveness of government strategies to protect the mammal, which attracted hordes of sightseers on boats over the last few weeks.