1,600 signatures submitted opposing landfill off Coloane coast

In opposition to a proposed landfill off the coast of Coloane, the organizers of a petition have submitted 1,600 signatures to the government over the weekend to call for protection of marine life.

Organized by the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society (HKDCS), the Macau Green Student Union (MGSU) and local ecological worker Kuan Hok In, the petition was initiated in response to the earlier revelation of the Environmental Protection Bureau’s (DSPA) request for budgeting for the proposed landfill.

The budget plan concerns MOP15.59 billion and the project’s execution period is set from January 2021 to December 2045.

Previously, various government officials have been asked about the proposed project. They have appealed to necessity, development and science to justify the project. However, the organizers of the petition argued that the project will jeopardize the habitat of the Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin, a national protected species.

Cited by All About Macau, MGSU president Joe Chan reiterated that the proposed location of the landfill is a critical habitat of the endangered species and arguably the most biologically diverse marine location in Macau.

Should the landfill go ahead, it will “completely extinguish” the city’s marine ecological development. He questioned if this is a step that a responsible government should take. Adding that the landfill is irrevocable once in place, he called on the public to reconsider the necessity of the project.

He also criticized the public consultation period being too short and the lack of evidential proof supporting the scale of the landfill.

HKDCS vice-chairman Viena Mak was cited as describing the dolphins and local people as very much alike, because “we both love Macau and reside here with our children.” Additionally, she said that only by conservation can the government drive people to Hac-Sa Beach and its neighborhood by means such as coastal dolphin observation tours. This will diversify both tourism products and lifestyle, she said, adding that nature tours are also a sustainable means of development, while children will have additional locations for leisure.

Citing national guidelines and directives for marine protection that require 70% of dolphin habitats in each territory be under protection, Mak explained that the correct roadmap is to start with protection, before looking into the ways towards conservation, development and utilization.

However, she said that the Macau government’s mentality is in the reverse direction and far behind those of mainland cities, Hong Kong and other territories.

On the other hand, she emphasized that construction wastes are actually recyclable resources, which can be used to pave sidewalks or be transformed into other construction materials, for example.

Outlining the food chain, Kuan highlighted that protecting marine life is not only protecting a single species but the entire biological diversity, which ultimately concerns the income of local fishermen. He added that Hac-Sa District is the only natural coastal leisure area in Macau. “By protecting the dolphins, we are also protecting the rights of our descendants,” he was cited as saying.

Meanwhile, when asked to respond to the petition, Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário has been cited as saying that “external comments might not be true” and as reiterating the government’s compliance with procedures.