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 8th and 23rd February 2018. The dolphin monitoring
schedule for the reporting period is shown in Appendix D.
6.8
From these surveys, a total of 67.55 km of
survey effort was collected, with 86.1% 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 67.55 km of survey effort, the total survey effort
conducted on primary lines (the horizontal lines perpendicular to the
coastlines) was 44.37 km.
6.9
1
groups of 3 Chinese White Dolphins were sighted from primary lines. Neither of
the dolphin groups was associated with any operating fishing vessel. The two
dolphin groups were sighted to the west of Kai Kung Shan and near Fan Lau
respectively (Figure 4 of Appendix D).
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 January’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: February 8th |
6.4 |
19.2 |
Set 2: February 23rd |
0.0 |
0.0 |
6.11
The
average group size of Chinese White Dolphins was 3.0 individuals per group
during February’s surveys, which was close to the averages in previous months
of monitoring surveys.
6.12
One
Limit Level exceedance was recorded for dolphin monitoring according to the
quarterly monitoring data in the period between December 2017 and February
2018.
6.13
Although
marine construction activities have continued under this contract, no adverse
impact on Chinese white dolphins was noticeable from general observations.
6.14
The
exceedance will be reported and evaluation of impacts on dolphins due to
construction work will be presented in the quarterly EM&A report (December 2017 to February 2018).
6.15
Detailed
monitoring methodology and results can be found in Appendix I.
6.16 A total of 64 days of additional
monitoring according to the Proposal for Land-based Dolphin Behaviour
and Movement Monitoring had been completed in August 2016.
6.17 The Final Report of Land-based Monitoring on
North-South Movement of Chinese White Dolphins in West Lantau Waters had been
submitted to EPD on 28 July 2017.