Burial at Sea

Senior launch master Tam Sik-hung, working 30 years of pollution control in the Marine Department, tells us why Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour is considered one of the worst-polluted bodies of water in the world:

Refrigerators, televisions, tractor tyres. Fish, dogs and cats are common. Sometimes we find the odd pig. Bodies are very smelly after they have been soaked in the sea for a long time. I have found three bodies floating in the harbour in the 30 years of my work. We have to start work at eight in the morning, seven days a week, good weather or bad. It does not matter if it is a sunny day or if it is raining, you will always get wet, whether it is from sweat, the rain or sea water.

Marine Captain Ng Lap-hay gives more details:

Nearly 80 per cent of the rubbish comes from the shore. However, when rubbish is blown on to the sea surface, the blame is often put on us for not cleaning it up quickly enough. Our major duty is to clean up the floating refuse, but we have to dig up the seabed regularly too. Can you imagine how many refrigerators and televisions are being dug up from the sea? Some citizens have even told us that if they did not dump rubbish into the sea, we would lose our jobs. Such comments are unacceptable.

Bodies and dead pets.

Dirty job.

← Older Posts · 早前 | →