Volunteers clean up Shui Hau but may need to return
More than 40 volunteers yesterday collected 150 bags of rubbish dumped on Shui Hau mangroves by typhoons three weeks ago.
The slow-moving currents of Shui Hau bay had been unable to wash way the rubbish deposited by typhoons Hato and Pakhar, while hundreds of plastic bags had been caught on mangrove branches.
Organiser Ho Loy, chairman of the Lantau Buffalo Assocation, warns that more cleaning up may be required.
She said that yesterday’s three-hour cleanup removed the plastic bags and general rubbish from just a quarter of the mangroves.
“Don’t rule out a second round of action in the short term,” she said in a Facebook post, warning that two more big winds may be on the way.
Photos: Ho Loy
Lantau Confidential 
Shui Hau wetland is one of the most eco-important site of Lantau. The mud beach is breeding ground of thousand of marine creature. The mangrove and swap is the habitat housing the biggest water buffalo on Lantau and the local Shui Hau herd graze there everyday.
Two typhoon brought to the bay the worst garbage disaster we ever seen. We do not know/ understand why there seem no attention from Island Food and Hygiene department as the anchorage officer said that he was new arriving to the role. He agreed that the disaster was bigger than he expected and Shui Hau is not the only spot in such situation. ‘ I am under stressed and not sure what to do yet.’ The young officer ditched our conversation, and tried to catch up on the phone with his business. FEHD allocated 4 teams with 30 manpower source from TYM, and Southern district to join the disaster fight. Officers there admitted that ‘horror’ was word to described what they saw. Colleagues were in shock and exhausted when I met them on Thursday.
A hundred of manpower with two proper trash trucks were allocated under leadership of the assist Director of FEHD to join the fight on Friday. They fought a full day to reveal the beach and lawn. So we actually see the yellow grass pitch (where the garbage was covering turned green when we arrived on Saturday .
One matter I like to raise is that there is a subcontracting coastline cleaning servicecrew allocated to vary area to handle the garbage problem since two years ago, soon after we complaining coastal garbage problem. Shui Hau beautiful is one of the appointed local for regular cleaning. Sadly is, the age level of this crew is between 60 or 70yrs old to do this job with minimum wage $35 per hour for the most physical demanding but unpleasant job.
Hi there, if our company want to form a volunteer group to help the cleaning on 12 Nov, would you please kindly advise us the directions to Shui Hau? Thanks in advance!
I wasn’t aware of cleanup on Nov 12. But take either the no 11 bus from Tung Chung or the no 1 or 2 bus from Mui Wo, and get off at Lower Wan Lung. You can download the New Lantao Bus mobile app to guide you.