6.1
According to Section 10 of the EM&A Manual, four kinds of ecological
monitoring works are required during the construction phase, namely dolphin
monitoring, construction-phase underwater noise monitoring, dolphin behavior
monitoring and land-based dolphin behavior and movement monitoring. The 30 days of construction-phase underwater noise
monitoring, dolphin behavior monitoring and land-based dolphin behavior and
movement monitoring were completed in July 2013.
6.2
The monitoring work shall be undertaken by suitably qualified
specialist(s), (i.e. dolphin specialist and bio-acoustician), who shall have
sufficient (at least 5-10 years) relevant post-graduate experience and
publication in the respective aspects. They should be approved by Agriculture,
Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and Environmental Protection
Department (EPD).
6.3
According to EM&A Manual Section 10.3.2, a dolphin monitoring programme should be set up to verify the predictions of
impacts and to ensure that there are no unforeseen impacts on the dolphin
population during construction phase.
6.4
Following the requirement in the EM&A
Manual Section 10.4.1, the dolphin monitoring should adopt line-transect vessel
survey method, and cover the following line-transect survey areas as in AFCD
annual marine mammal monitoring programme.
6.5
For this contract, dolphin monitoring will be carried out in the West
Lantau (WL) along the line transect as depicted in Figure 1 of Appendix I. The co-ordinates of all transect
lines are shown in Table 6.1.
Table 6.1 Co-ordinates
of transect lines in WL survey area
|
Line No. |
Easting |
Northing |
Line No. |
Easting |
Northing |
||
|
1 |
Start
Point |
803750 |
818500 |
7 |
Start
Point |
800200 |
810450 |
|
1 |
End Point |
803750 |
815500 |
7 |
End Point |
801400 |
810450 |
|
2 |
Start
Point |
803750 |
815500 |
8 |
Start
Point |
801300 |
809450 |
|
2 |
End Point |
802940 |
815500 |
8 |
End Point |
799750 |
809450 |
|
3 |
Start
Point |
802550 |
814500 |
9 |
Start
Point |
799400 |
808450 |
|
3 |
End Point |
803700 |
814500 |
9 |
End Point |
801430 |
808450 |
|
4 |
Start
Point |
803120 |
813600 |
10 |
Start
Point |
801500 |
807450 |
|
4 |
End Point |
801640 |
813600 |
10 |
End Point |
799600 |
807450 |
|
5 |
Start
Point |
801100 |
812450 |
11 |
Start
Point |
800300 |
806500 |
|
5 |
End Point |
802900 |
812450 |
11 |
End Point |
801750 |
806500 |
|
6 |
Start
Point |
802400 |
811500 |
12 |
Start
Point |
801760 |
805450 |
|
6 |
End Point |
800660 |
811500 |
12 |
End Point |
800700 |
805450 |
6.6
Dolphin transect survey was carried out at least twice a month (i.e.
complete all the transect lines of West Lantau survey area twice per month)
throughout the construction period.
6.7
Dolphin monitoring was carried out on 13th and 25th
May 2016. The
dolphin monitoring schedule for the reporting period is shown in Appendix D.
6.8
From these surveys, a total of 66.47 km of survey effort was collected, with 90.8% of
the total survey effort being conducted under favorable weather conditions
(i.e. Beaufort Sea State 3 or below with good visibility) Out of the 66.47 km of survey effort, the total survey effort conducted on primary lines
(the horizontal lines perpendicular to the coastlines) was
44.52 km.
6.9
9 groups of 39 Chinese White Dolphins were sighted from primary lines. Distribution of the 10 dolphin sightings made during May’s surveys is shown in Figure 4 of Appendix I. These sightings were mostly located in
the central and southern portions of the survey area, with the exception of one
large group of 13 dolphins sighted to the west of the airport near the
territorial boundary. No dolphin
was sighted at all near the HKLR09 alignment or around the Tai O Peninsula (Figure 4 of Appendix I).
6.10
Dolphin encounter rates deduced from the survey effort and on-effort
sighting data made under favourable conditions
(Beaufort 3 or below) are shown in Table
6.2.
Table 6.2 Dolphin
encounter rates (sightings per 100 km of survey effort) in May’s
surveys
|
|
Encounter rate (STG) (no. of on-effort dolphin
sightings per 100 km of survey effort) |
Encounter rate (ANI)
(no. of dolphins from all on-effort sightings per 100 km of survey
effort) |
|
|
Primary Lines Only |
Primary Lines Only |
||
|
WL |
Set 1: May 13th |
18.1 |
54.2 |
|
Set 2: May 25th |
10.9 |
92.5 |
|
6.11
The average group size of Chinese
White Dolphins was 4.0 individuals per group during May’s surveys,
which was similar to the averages in previous months of monitoring surveys.
6.12
Most dolphin groups were small to medium in size with 1-4 animals per
group, with the exception of one medium group of six animals and another large
group of 13 animals.
6.13
During this month of dolphin monitoring, marine construction activities
have continued under this contract.
However, no adverse impact on Chinese white dolphins was noticeable from
general observations.
6.14
Evaluation of impacts on dolphins due to construction work will be
conducted in the quarterly EM&A report.
6.15
Detailed monitoring methodology and results can be found in Appendix I.
6.16
Additional land-based dolphin behavior and
movement monitoring was conducted on 9th and 16th May
2016 in the reporting month. The progress of the monitoring is summarized in
the Table 6.3.
Table 6.3 Progress
Record of Additional Land-based Dolphin Behaviour and
Movement Monitoring in May 2016
|
Date |
Time |
Weather |
Number of Staff |
Number of
Dolphin Sighting |
|
|
Beaufort |
Visibility |
||||
|
09/05/16 |
09:06 - 14:35 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
|
16/05/16 |
09:11 - 14:42 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
6.17 Detailed
monitoring methodology and results will be provided in a separate report after
the completion of full set of additional land-based dolphin behavior and
movement monitoring.