The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government received on November 8 notification from the Shenzhen Municipal Government that a river trade vessel was found sunk in the coastal region of the Pearl River Estuary. Some of the containers being carried fell into the sea and drifted with the current. The containers concerned contained items such as wool, plant fibre, food and plastics.
After receiving the notification, the Marine Department (MD) has stepped up maritime patrols and found three containers stranded in the waters west of Hong Kong International Airport on November 9. The MD immediately notified relevant departments to follow up on the incident and commence the salvage operation.
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has initiated the Emergency Response Plan for Spillage of Substance/Cargo in Marine Incidents and the Protocol for Handling Surge of Marine Refuse in Hong Kong to notify the concerned departments, including the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department; the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department; the MD and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, to closely monitor the situation at sea and along coastlines and take timely response measures. A small amount of plastic pellets were found spilled out from one of the containers found near the coast of Po Chue Tam, Tai O, and the MD has cordoned off the area and arranged a joint clean-up operation with relevant departments. The MD will continue to step up marine patrols, while EPD officers were sent to the shorelines concerned to conduct site inspections. If other fallen containers or goods are found, a clean-up operation will be mounted as soon as possible to minimise the impact of the incident on the marine and ecological environment.
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