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     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 16) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (see Note 2).

     Twenty-three beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 15 as Fair (Grade 2) and two as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:

Big Wave Bay Beach*	Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Middle Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach*	Pui O Beach*
Chung Hom Kok Beach	Shek O Beach*
Clear Water Bay Second Beach*	South Bay Beach*
Deep Water Bay Beach*	St Stephen’s Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach*	Tai Po Lung Mei Beach*
Hung Shing Yeh Beach*	Tong Fuk Beach
Kadoorie Beach*	Trio Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach	Turtle Cove Beach
Kwun Yam Beach	Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lo So Shing Beach

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

Anglers’ Beach*	Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Butterfly Beach*	Lido Beach*
Cafeteria New Beach	Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*
Casam Beach*	Repulse Bay Beach*
Castle Peak Beach	Silver Mine Bay Beach*
Clear Water Bay First Beach	Stanley Main Beach*
Discovery Bay	Ting Kau Beach*
Golden Beach*

 
Grade 3 beaches are:

Approach Beach

Silverstrand Beach*

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Deep Water Bay Beach, Lower Cheung Sha Beach and Pui O Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Discovery Bay has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2, and Approach 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 storm 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.
 
Note 1: Lifeguard services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 22 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk (*) above, from May 1.
 
Note 2: The non-gazetted beach is Discovery Bay which has no lifeguard service. read more

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 16) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (see Note 2).

     Twenty-three beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 15 as Fair (Grade 2) and two as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:

Big Wave Bay Beach*	Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Middle Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach*	Pui O Beach*
Chung Hom Kok Beach	Shek O Beach*
Clear Water Bay Second Beach*	South Bay Beach*
Deep Water Bay Beach*	St Stephen’s Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach*	Tai Po Lung Mei Beach*
Hung Shing Yeh Beach*	Tong Fuk Beach
Kadoorie Beach*	Trio Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach	Turtle Cove Beach
Kwun Yam Beach	Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lo So Shing Beach

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

Anglers’ Beach*	Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Butterfly Beach*	Lido Beach*
Cafeteria New Beach	Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*
Casam Beach*	Repulse Bay Beach*
Castle Peak Beach	Silver Mine Bay Beach*
Clear Water Bay First Beach	Stanley Main Beach*
Discovery Bay	Ting Kau Beach*
Golden Beach*

 
Grade 3 beaches are:

Approach Beach

Silverstrand Beach*

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Deep Water Bay Beach, Lower Cheung Sha Beach and Pui O Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Discovery Bay has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2, and Approach 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 storm 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.
 
Note 1: Lifeguard services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 22 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk (*) above, from May 1.
 
Note 2: The non-gazetted beach is Discovery Bay which has no lifeguard service. read more

Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:      Here is an item of interest to swimmers.      The Leisure and Cultural Services Department… read more

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) conducted a one-month joint enforcement operation codenamed “Shepherd” in May this year to combat endangered species smuggling activities at the airport, seaport, land boundary and railway control points. 

     During the operation, Customs detected 24 cases with seizures of about 5.3 tonnes of suspected endangered species with an estimated market value of about $22 million and arrests of 14 persons. Among the seizures, over 5 tonnes were suspected scheduled dried shark fins of endangered species, with an estimated market value of about $21 million, seized by Customs inside two imported seaborne containers. Apart from these, other suspected endangered species, including live turtles, dried seahorses and American ginseng were also seized.

     “The joint operation was a great success. It is also a vivid demonstration of how the two departments’ close co-operation effectively targets the activities of endangered species smuggling,” the Group Head (Air Cargo Group) of Airport Command of Customs, Mr Cheung Ka-chung, said in summarising the operation today (June 16) at a joint press conference.

     “Facing the endless smuggling tactics, Customs will stay vigilant and strengthen its efforts in intelligence collection and analysis for even more effective enforcement. Similar joint operations will be undertaken,” he added.

     “As the epidemic gradually levelled off and normal travel between Hong Kong and Mainland has been resumed since February 6, Customs detected 175 cases of suspected smuggling of endangered species in the first five months of this year, which has exceeded 60 per cent of the total number of cases detected last year. This reflects that endangered species smuggling activities had become relatively active recently. Customs and the AFCD will continue to work closely in combating illegal activities involving endangered species on all fronts.”

     Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

     The Endangered Species Protection Officer of the AFCD, Dr Jenny Lau, reminded the public that any person who imports, exports or possesses endangered species not in accordance with the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance will be liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years upon conviction, while the relevant items will be confiscated. Members of the public are urged not to break the law.

     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk). read more

     A printing company, its director and manager were convicted today (June 16) of evading profits tax at the District Court.  Sentencing was adjourned to July 10 pending background reports. The director and manager were remanded in custody.

     The director and manager of the printing company, aged 64 and 69 respectively, are a couple. Both of them and the printing company pleaded not guilty to the relevant charges. After the trial, they were convicted of a total of 11 counts of wilfully with intent to evade tax. The charges comprise six counts for the three defendants of preparing or maintaining false books of accounts or other records, thereby understating the sales of the printing company for the years of assessment 2006/07 to 2008/09, contrary to section 82(1)(f) of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (IRO) (Cap. 112); one count for the printing company of omitting its sales income from the profits tax return for the year of assessment 2009/10, contrary to section 82(1)(a) of the IRO; and four counts for the director of signing the profits tax returns of the printing company for the aforesaid four years of assessment without reasonable grounds for believing the same to be true, contrary to section 82(1)(d) of the IRO.

     An investigation by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) revealed that the director had made use of a bank account of a dormant company to receive the sales incomes from a customer. The director transferred only part of the incomes to the bank account of the printing company and the remaining balance to the couple’s personal bank accounts. The director and manager fabricated debit notes and relevant receipt records by amending the product unit prices and sales amounts of the original debit notes to match with the amounts deposited into the printing company’s bank account. Such false records were then sent to the accountant for the preparation of financial statements of the printing company. As a result, only the reduced sales incomes of the printing company were reported to the IRD. The sales incomes of 33 transactions of the printing company were reduced for the four years of assessment 2006/07 to 2009/10. Total understated sales incomes were $12,885,531.99.

     A spokesman for the IRD reminded taxpayers that tax evasion is a criminal offence under the IRO. Upon conviction, the maximum penalty for each charge is three years’ imprisonment and a fine of $50,000 plus a further fine of three times the amount of tax evaded. read more