​A red tide was sighted over the past week, the Inter-departmental Red Tide Working Group reported today (April 1).
The red tide was spotted by staff of the Marine Department on March 27 at Sham Wan, Lamma Island. The red tide has dissipated and no associated fish deaths have been reported as of today.
A spokesman for the working group said, "The red tide was formed by Noctiluca scintillans, which is commonly found in Hong Kong waters and is non-toxic."
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) urged mariculturists at Lo Tik Wan and Sok Kwu Wan fish culture zones to monitor the situation closely and increase aeration where necessary.
Red tide is a natural phenomenon. The AFCD's proactive phytoplankton monitoring programme will continue to monitor red tide occurrences to minimise the impact on the mariculture industry and the public.
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