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Hansard (English) LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 7 June 2006 7999 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 7 June 2006 The Council met at Eleven o'clock MEMBERS PRESENT: THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE MRS RITA FAN HSU LAI-TAI, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JAMES TIEN PEI-CHUN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALBERT HO CHUN-YAN IR DR THE HONOURABLE RAYMOND HO CHUNG-TAI, S.B.ST.J., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEE CHEUK-YAN THE HONOURABLE MARTIN LEE CHU-MING, S.C., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE DAVID LI KWOK-PO, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE FRED LI WAH-MING, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LUI MING-WAH, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MARGARET NG THE HONOURABLE MRS SELINA CHOW LIANG SHUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG MAN-KWONG THE HONOURABLE CHAN YUEN-HAN, J.P. 8000 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 7 June 2006 THE HONOURABLE BERNARD CHAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN KAM-LAM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS SOPHIE LEUNG LAU YAU-FUN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG THE HONOURABLE SIN CHUNG-KAI, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PHILIP WONG YU-HONG, G.B.S. THE HONOURABLE WONG YUNG-KAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE JASPER TSANG YOK-SING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE HOWARD YOUNG, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE YEUNG SUM THE HONOURABLE LAU CHIN-SHEK, J.P. THE HONOURABLE LAU KONG-WAH, J.P. THE HONOURABLE LAU WONG-FAT, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MIRIAM LAU KIN-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE EMILY LAU WAI-HING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHOY SO-YUK, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ANDREW CHENG KAR-FOO THE HONOURABLE TAM YIU-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ABRAHAM SHEK LAI-HIM, J.P. THE HONOURABLE LI FUNG-YING, B.B.S., J.P. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 7 June 2006 8001 THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP THE HONOURABLE FREDERICK FUNG KIN-KEE, J.P. THE HONOURABLE VINCENT FANG KANG, J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-HING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE LEE WING-TAT THE HONOURABLE LI KWOK-YING, M.H. DR THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG THE HONOURABLE DANIEL LAM WAI-KEUNG, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JEFFREY LAM KIN-FUNG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ANDREW LEUNG KWAN-YUEN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALAN LEONG KAH-KIT, S.C. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KWOK-HUNG DR THE HONOURABLE KWOK KA-KI DR THE HONOURABLE FERNANDO CHEUNG CHIU-HUNG THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG HOK-MING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG TING-KWONG, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE RONNY TONG KA-WAH, S.C. THE HONOURABLE CHIM PUI-CHUNG THE HONOURABLE PATRICK LAU SAU-SHING, S.B.S., J.P. 8002 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 7 June 2006 THE HONOURABLE ALBERT JINGHAN CHENG THE HONOURABLE KWONG CHI-KIN THE HONOURABLE TAM HEUNG-MAN MEMBERS ABSENT: THE HONOURABLE TIMOTHY FOK TSUN-TING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE AUDREY EU YUET-MEE, S.C., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MA LIK, G.B.S., J.P. PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE HENRY TANG YING-YEN, G.B.S., J.P. THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL SUEN MING-YEUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, PLANNING AND LANDS PROF THE HONOURABLE ARTHUR LI KWOK-CHEUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER DR THE HONOURABLE PATRICK HO CHI-PING, J.P. SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS DR THE HONOURABLE SARAH LIAO SAU-TUNG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND WORKS THE HONOURABLE AMBROSE LEE SIU-KWONG, I.D.S.M., J.P. SECRETARY FOR SECURITY DR THE HONOURABLE YORK CHOW YAT-NGOK, S.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, WELFARE AND FOOD LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 7 June 2006 8003 CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MR RICKY FUNG CHOI-CHEUNG, J.P., SECRETARY GENERAL MS PAULINE NG MAN-WAH, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MR RAY CHAN YUM-MOU, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL 8004 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 7 June 2006 TABLING OF PAPERS The following papers were laid on the table pursuant to Rule 21(2) of the Rules of Procedure: Subsidiary Legislation/Instruments L.N. No. Import and Export (Strategic Commodities) Regulations (Amendment of Schedule 1) Order 2006 (Amendment) Order 2006............................ 131/2006 Declaration of Increase in Pensions Notice 2006.......... 132/2006 Widows and Orphans Pension (Increase) Notice 2006..... 133/2006 Other Paper No. 93 ─ Report of changes to the approved Estimates of Expenditure approved during the fourth quarter of 2005-06 (Public Finance Ordinance : Section 8) ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Questions. First question. Massive Death of Fish and Shell Fish in Tolo Harbour 1. MR RONNY TONG (in Cantonese): President, I received complaints from some fish farmers about the sharp increase in the number of incidents in which fish and shell fish died collectively in the fish culture zones of Tolo Harbour, compared to the corresponding figures in the past years. As the laying of natural gas pipelines in Tolo Harbour last year might have stirred up the toxic heavy metals deposited in the seabed, and the test results of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) last year indicated that the concentration of cadmium, a heavy metal, in shell fish samples collected from such area was more than twice the permitted concentration specified for food in the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 7 June 2006 8005 (Cap. 132 sub. leg. V), the fish farmers requested the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) to take soil samples for testing from two to three metres beneath the seabed near the works site. The EPD turned down the request on grounds of insufficient resources and the lack of drilling equipment and technical staff in this respect. On the other hand, the test results of the AFCD showed that such fish and shell fish were mainly infected by bacteria, virus and parasites. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (a) whether the EPD has considered adopting other methods such as using hammer grabs, deploying divers or other means for taking soil samples for testing from two to three metres beneath the seabed; (b) how it will solve the problem relating to the lack of resources for the EPD to conduct such tests; and (c) how it will help the fish farmers solve the problem of the infection of a large amount of fish and shell fish with bacteria, virus and parasites? SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND WORKS (in Cantonese): President, my reply to the three questions raised is as follows: (a) The EPD considers that testing the surface sediment samples collected next to the pipeline is adequate to determine whether the exceedance of cadmium in pearl oysters at the Lo Fu Wat Pearl Farm was caused by the pipelaying works. This is because only sediment stirred up during jetting and deposited on the surface next to the pipeline can possibly be dispersed and drifted to the pearl farm. During the drifting process, the sediment will be dispersed and diluted. Thus, the sediment samples next to the pipeline represent the worst scenario. Moreover, unless heavy metal exists naturally in the sediment, the concentration of heavy metal is usually higher on the surface if the heavy metal is deposited onto the seabed as a result of human activities. For this reason, the EPD considers that there is no technical justification to take sediment samples at a depth of 2 m to 3 m below the seabed. Besides, it is not feasible to take such sediment samples by means of a hammer grab or by deploying divers. 8006 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 7 June 2006 The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (HKCG) or its contractor is required by the Environmental Permit issued under this project to monitor the environmental impacts closely. The EPD has also conducted independent monitoring, including carrying out site inspections and water quality monitoring by taking water samples from Tolo Harbour for testing. All the data collected indicate that the pipelaying project does not induce any adverse impact on the water quality of Tolo Harbour. (b) The EPD monitors the heavy metal content of the marine sediment in Tolo Harbour regularly for over a decade. Thus, there are sufficient data to evaluate whether the pipelaying project causes any heavy metal contamination of the marine sediment. Nonetheless, when resources permitted, the EPD had arranged the collection of grab samples of surface sediment next to the pipeline for testing by the Government Laboratory with a view to allaying the concerns of the fish farmers. The test results confirm that the cadmium content of the sediment samples is comparable to that obtained by the EPD under its long-term monitoring programme. (c) In the natural environment, there exists a certain amount of pathogens, including bacteria, virus and parasites in the water body. In mariculture zones, fish may be under stress and more prone to infection under crowded environment. In addition, there are other external factors, which may subject the fish to health risk including sudden change in water quality, malnutrition, skin injury resulting from hitting or abrasion, causing an increase in the chance of fish infection or death induced by pathogens. Moreover, parent fish may be carriers of pathogens, resulting in the transmission of diseases from the mother fish to their offspring at birth. Under the "Fish Health Inspection Programme", the AFCD conducts health inspections of cultured fish at marine fish culture zones on a regular basis.
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