February 4, 2016
China

Lantau offshore wind farm plan a threat to pink dolphins – NGO

Chantal Yuen | Hong Kong Free press | 3 February 2016 | www.hongkongfp.com

A state-backed company plans build a wind farm 10km off the shore of Western Lantau Island, leaving Hong Kong conservationists concerned about the fate of endangered pink dolphins in the area.

The electricity firm, South Joint Development Offshore Wind Power Company, intends to build a large-scale wind farm on the Lingding Channel, located at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta, according to a Guangdong government document.

However, the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society (HKDCS) noted that the offshore wind farm is only 2.5 kilometers away from the Chinese state protected area for pink dolphins.

They said that because of the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, some pink dolphins – also known as Chinese white dolphins – may have already moved to the Lingding Channel area.

The group called on authorities to research the number of dolphins in the bridge construction area and the Lingding Channel before going ahead with the plan.

The Administration of Ocean and Fisheries of Guangdong approved the plan last November. It announced that “from the perspective of the protection of the ocean’s environment, the project was acceptable.”

The project will cost RMB420 million and include a total of 37 wind turbines. It is projected to produce 260,000 watts of electricity per year.

The HKDCS said that it would send a representative to Guangzhou on Wednesday to attend a meeting about the environmental impact assessment of the project.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/02/04/lantau-offshore-wind-farm-plan-a-threat-to-pink-dolphins-ngo/