The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, learned about necropsy on the whale carcass at High Island Reservoir West Dam in Sai Kung in the afternoon today (August 1). He then met with the media together with the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Dr Leung Siu-fai, and the Head of Zoological Operations and Conservation, Ocean Park cum Foundation Director, Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong, Mr Howard Chuk. Following is the transcript of remarks by Mr Tse:
 
Reporter: Two English questions from RTHK. The first one is for Mr Tse. Do you think the AFCD or the Government has done its utmost to protect the whale this time? Because there are criticisms from the conservationists saying that there is not proactive or prompt action from the authorities. And secondly, you said the legal framework can be reviewed to seek more power to be given to the AFCD to help the whale to leave Hong Kong. Would you elaborate? And you think how long this would take?
 
Secretary for Environment and Ecology: As Director Leung has explained, actually the AFCD, together with Ocean Park Conservation Fund, have been monitoring and participating in the protection of the whale from the very beginning. And they have been working day by day in order to protect the whale, as well as to find new ways to bring the whale back to the ocean. They have been working very hard on this. However, as explained by Director Leung, there were a lot of difficulties. For example, the whale can appear in this place, then disappear, and then reappear again in other places. And therefore how to protect it was complicated. And also there were different views among experts on whether and how they could bring the whale back to the ocean. After a lot of discussions with different experts, not only experts from the Ocean Park Conservation Fund, but also from local and overseas. I think what they could agree on was they should observe for a longer time. They needed more time to observe before they could decide how to bring the whale back to the ocean.

     And yes, I think if the AFCD could have more immediate power to manage, for example the people who come to observe the whale, it may help. And therefore we will review whether the law can be adjusted to offer the AFCD colleagues more power to manage this sort of situation. As I have also mentioned, we will also try to develop a set of protocol to deal with this sort of situation in the future so that we can save the time for different experts to discuss how to do it. I believe this will make future actions quicker. And I will also ask the AFCD colleagues to go visit some overseas countries or cities which have more experiences in this sort of situations so that they can learn more and come back to Hong Kong in the future and handle this sort of situation more promptly and more competently. I think that will also help.
 
Reporter: When you said more power could be given to the AFCD, do you mean setting up no-boat areas or what do you mean exactly?
 
Secretary for Environment and Ecology: Actually we need to make a review first, whether they can set up a restricted area more quickly. It is an option but they may also require some other enforcement power to help them. Therefore, we will review all those together. 

     The Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong, today (August 1) met with summer interns of the Post-secondary Student Summer Internship Programme, encouraging them to seize the opportunity to enhance their knowledge, equip themselves and unleash their potential after graduation.
 
     The meeting was held at the Environmental Academy of the Environmental Protection Department (EPD). Miss Wong invited the interns to share their experiences and what they have gained during their one and a half month internship, and shared her own experience of working in the Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB). She believed that the young people participating in the summer internship programme of the EEB and the EPD are all aspired to join environment-related fields. She encouraged the interns to make the best use of the remaining two weeks of the internship to explore their interests and expertise in the field, and to join the environmental protection work after graduation as well as contributing to combating climate change and sustainable development.
 
     This year, a total of 61 students from local, Mainland and overseas tertiary institutions participated in the summer internship programme organised by the EEB and EPD. The interns were assigned to work in different units of the EEB and the EPD, covering positions related to environmental protection, ecological conservation, green energy and energy conservation, climate change and sustainable development, etc.
 
     At the meeting, Miss Wong mentioned that the United Nations recently stated that the era of "global boiling" has arrived, and scientists have pointed out that July this year is possibly the hottest month in 120,000 years. In her view, climate change is not only a clear crisis now, but also a threat to the living environment of future generations. To achieve carbon neutrality to combat climate change, the Government is diligently promoting four major decarbonisation strategies, namely net-zero electricity generation, energy saving and green buildings, green transport and waste reduction, and at the same time, it is necessary for various parties to work together. She encouraged the interns to make good use of their knowledge of climate change and practise energy-saving and carbon-reducing lifestyles in their daily lives to rise to the challenge of climate change together and realise the vision of "Zero-carbon Emissions‧Liveable City‧Sustainable Development".
 
     This year's summer internship programme runs for eight weeks, from late June to mid-August. Apart from working in different units of the EEB and the EPD to gain practical experience, the interns have been arranged to visit various types of environmental protection infrastructure and facilities, including the organic resources recovery centre O．PARK1, T · PARK, Y · PARK, the waste electrical and electronic equipment treatment and recycling facility WEEE ∙ PARK, EcoPark, and Green@Community Recycling Network, etc, to learn more about the development of environmental protection facilities.

      

     Police today (August 1) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Chai Wan.

     Cheng Wai-man, aged 44, went missing after he left his residence in Yue Wan Estate on July 30 night. His family made a report to Police yesterday (July 31).
    
     He is about 1.68 metres tall, 70 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a round face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a black hat, black shirt, black trousers, white shoes and carrying a black backpack.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of Hong Kong Island on 2860 1040 or 9886 0034 or email to rmpu-hki@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

     The Correctional Services Department (CSD) announced today (August 1) that new standards will be adopted for the entry physical fitness test for Officer and Assistant Officer II with effect from September 16.
 
     The new physical fitness test items will be changed from five to four, including replacing sit-up and vertical jump with isometric strength test, and modifying the shuttle run from 9 metres x 10 single laps to 10 metres x 4 single laps. The bailey bridge and 800 metres run will be retained.
 
     A spokesman for the CSD said, "The CSD regularly reviews its recruitment policy, including entry requirements, and adopts a proactive recruitment strategy, so as to attract more applicants.
 
     "Given that the test items and standards of the current physical fitness test have been in use for nearly 20 years, the CSD has invited a sports medicine expert to review and formulate new physical fitness test standards that better meet the daily work needs of correctional officers nowadays."
 
     To expedite the recruitment selection process, the CSD has in recent months arranged the physical fitness test, the Basic Law and National Security Law Test, the group interview and the selection interview to be completed within a day instead of two days as previously.
 
     The CSD will continue to enhance publicity and organise various recruitment activities including recruitment talks, workshops, exhibitions and recruitment talks at universities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to attract more people to join the CSD.
 
     Please visit the following websites for the new entry physical fitness test standards:
 
Officer:
www.csd.gov.hk/english/recruit/recruitment_procedures/officer/pft_table/pft_table.html
 
Assistant Officer II:
www.csd.gov.hk/english/recruit/recruitment_procedures/assistant_officer_ii/pft_table/pft_table.html

     â€‹The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met the Secretary of the CPC Jiangmen Municipal Committee, Mr Chen Anming, today (August 1) to exchange views on deepening Hong Kong's co-operation with Jiangmen. The Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Ms Carol Yip, also attended the meeting.　
      
     Mr Lee welcomed Mr Chen's visit to Hong Kong with his delegation. He said that Hong Kong proactively promotes and strengthens its co-operation with Jiangmen, as well as other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to achieve complementarity and mutual benefits, contributing to the construction of an international first-class bay area for living, working and travelling.
      
     Noting that Hong Kong has strong capabilities in scientific research while the advanced manufacturing of Jiangmen has been developing rapidly, Mr Lee said he looked forward to the continued deepening of collaboration among the industry, academia and research sectors, promoting the transformation of technological outcomes, and strengthening the linkage of innovation and technology between the two places.
      
     Mr Lee said that he had led a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region delegation to visit three member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia last week, where he introduced Hong Kong's unique advantages of enjoying the strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world under "one country, two systems" to local political and business communities, and encouraged ASEAN enterprises to explore the GBA market and expand their businesses in Hong Kong and other bay area cities by making good use of Hong Kong's professional services and financing platform.