Tag Archives: China

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Grading of beach water quality released

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 16) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (see Note 2).
 
     Thirty beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), nine as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:          

Big Wave Bay Beach* Kwun Yam Beach
Butterfly Beach* Lo So Shing Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Middle Bay Beach
Castle Peak Beach Pui O Beach*
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach* Repulse Bay Beach*
Chung Hom Kok Beach Shek O Beach*
Clear Water Bay Second Beach* South Bay Beach*
Deep Water Bay Beach* St. Stephen’s Beach
Discovery Bay Tai Pak Beach [Non-gazetted beach] Stanley Main Beach*
Golden Beach* Tai Po Lung Mei Beach*
Hap Mun Bay Beach* Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach* Trio Beach
Kadoorie Beach* Turtle Cove Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
 
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers’ Beach* Lido Beach*
Approach Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*
Casam Beach* Silver Mine Bay Beach*
Clear Water Bay First Beach Silverstrand Beach*
Hoi Mei Wan Beach  
 
Grade 3 beach is:
Ting Kau Beach*  
 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Hoi Mei Wan Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2, and Ting Kau Beach from Grade 2 to Grade 3.
 
     “The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches,” an EPD spokesman said.
 
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
 
     While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, the EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a tropical cyclone or heavy rainfall.
 
     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the EPD’s website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.  Members of the public can also obtain the latest daily water quality forecast information for all beaches that are open for swimming through the EPD’s dedicated webpage on the beach water quality forecast (www.epd.gov.hk/en/BWQForecast).
 
Note 1: Lifesaving services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 22 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk (*) above, from April 1. For details, please refer to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department’s Special Announcement (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/index.html).
 
Note 2: This refers to Discovery Bay Tai Pak Beach which has no lifesaving service. read more

East Asia

Inspection of aquatic products imported from Japan

     In response to the Japanese Government’s plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
 
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department is conducting comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
 
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor the situation and continue to implement the enhanced testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on May 15 to noon today (May 16), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 191 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the “aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt” category. No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS’s thematic website titled “Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan” (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).

     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 50 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD’s website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
 
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO’s website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
 
     From August 24, 2023, to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 136 475 samples of food imported from Japan (including 89 785 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 31 386 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests. read more

East Asia