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Written by: Wei Jingquan
2021-06-07 09:00
Last update date: 2021-06-07 09:00
The Chinese White Dolphin is regarded as Hong Kong's "return mascot", but in recent years it has faced human threats such as loss of habitat and maritime traffic in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) earlier filmed the ocean conservation documentary "Sea of Noise". Through the underwater recorder, it revealed that the Chinese White Dolphin is facing noise threats such as high-speed ships and a large number of infrastructure projects.
In the film, the WWF representative pointed out that the recorded underwater sound showed that the sound of the white dolphins would be covered by the noise of the sailing vessel, which might hinder its "echolocation" system.
White dolphins are not only affected for food, but also hindered communication with their peers.
WWF recommends that the Hong Kong government include underwater noise as part of the mandatory assessment in the EIA report. It is hoped that during the construction of the project, the contractor can also place a "bubble curtain" to use air bubbles as a sound insulation function.
▼The documentary "Sea of Sound" will be launched on June 8th on World Ocean Day▼
The Chinese White Dolphin has been upgraded from "Near Threatened" to "Vulnerable"
In recent years, the global protection status of Chinese white dolphins in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) "Red List of Endangered Species" has been upgraded from "near threatened" to "vulnerable". In Hong Kong, white dolphins have also suffered habitat loss and degradation. Man-made threats such as fish consumption and heavy sea traffic.
The WWF documentary "Sea of Noise", directed by the famous ecological photographer and documentary producer Daphne Wong (Daphne Wong), sees through the mysterious underwater world, reveals underwater noise problems and related man-made threats to Chinese white dolphins interference.
Chinese white dolphins are mostly found in the waters of West Lantau, South Lantau and Soko Islands in Hong Kong.
According to the documentary, the white dolphins originally used "echolocation" to facilitate the exploration of the environment. They search for food by sound and communicate with their peers.
However, as human beings develop rapidly and extensively, the frequency of man-made noise entering the marine environment is also increasing day by day, and the scope of its influence is becoming wider and wider.
WWF has placed nine underwater recorders in the waters of West Lantau, South Lantau and Sok Kwu Islands to conduct year-round underwater sound research.
The recorder collects the echolocation signals from the Chinese white dolphins and finless porpoises every day. It also records the noise generated by ship navigation and coastal engineering activities to study the impact of human activities on the dolphins.
Advocate for underwater noise to be included in EIA report requirements
Studies have found that the sounds of white dolphins will be covered by the noise of ships sailing, and the sound of Chinese white dolphins foraging, speedboats, and high-speed boats are also broadcast in the clip.
WWF estimates that noise will hinder the echolocation system of white dolphins, not only affect foraging, communication, etc., but even cause hearing loss.
WWF recommends that the Hong Kong government incorporate underwater noise into the mandatory assessment part of the EIA report. It also hopes that construction companies can place "bubble curtains" during construction to use air bubbles as a sound insulation function, so that the noise spread of the project will be smaller.
▼Register now to watch the exclusive online premiere of the documentary▼
The documentary will premiere exclusively on the "01 Space" online at 8pm on June 8. The viewing fee is free, but you must complete the event registration before you can watch it.
Director Daphne Wong (Daphne Wong) and singer-songwriter Manson Cheung (Manson Cheung) will participate as guests in the online sharing session; after watching the premiere, they will participate in the interactive game session and have a chance to win the "Half-Day Ecological Tour of Haixiawan for Two" .
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Conservation of Chinese White Dolphins and Dolphin Conservation WWF Noise Pollution
