Loss of white dolphins due to bridge, according to experts

Construction works on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge

Experts blame the under-construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, which is currently under construction, as the main culprit for the declining number of Chinese white dolphins.
Figures acquired by WWF Hong Kong from an unreleased report by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department show that the total estimated number of White dolphins in Hong Kong has fallen from 87 to 65.
The city’s northern island of Lantau experienced a dramatic 60 percent drop in the numbers of the aquatic mammal, with the figures falling from 25 to 10.
The South China Morning Post reported that Samantha Lee, a WWF Hong Kong conservation expert, attributed the drop to the construction of the bridge. Lee also mentioned that the impending construction of the airport’s third runway will see more sea vessel traffic and undersea noise.
The report added that Samuel Hung Ka-yiu, chairman of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, attributed the declining dolphin numbers in the past few years to a combination of habitat loss, land reclamation and increasing volumes of high- speed ferry traffic in the area.
Meanwhile, experts are urging the Hong Kong government to establish more marine parks in addition to its four existing marine parks. However, according to Hung, the establishment of new parks will not be enough to compensate for the loss of habitat caused by the third runway.