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Following is the transcript of a media session given by the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, after visiting Lamma Island and Peng Chau this (Wednesday) afternoon :

Reporter: Mr Tung, can you please say something in English about the red tide? What's the Government doing about it?

Mr Tung: I planned this visit to the outer islands sometime ago. But since it coincided with what happened on the red tide last weekend, it is quite obvious and quite necessary for me to visit where I did on Lamma Island at Sok Kwu Wan and I feel a huge degree of sympathy for those who have lost everything they have worked for. What the Government will be doing and has been doing is firstly, together with the fishermen, to clean up the ocean of the dead fish, working together, working hard together and I think we've already made great progress. And secondly, it's for us to increase our explanation to the community as a whole as to the health aspect of eating fish and to make sure that the health of all our citizens is being properly looked after. And thirdly, of course the Government will study and will do what is necessary to help the fishermen to come back into the business as soon as possible. And finally, equally important is that we will be studying, particularly together with experts both on the mainland of China as well as overseas to see how red tide can better be monitored and observed, and can we set up some better early warning systems. I know there are countries, such as the United States, Norway, Australia, they have also suffered from the red tide attacks. And I think we can all share the information together, and share the experience together to learn from each other how we can do better.

Reporter : What lessons do you think the Government should learn from this particular happening?

Mr Tung : As I said earlier on that the first red tide was detected in the middle of March, and it was in a place called Kat O, and it went away. And this red tide which has come, in terms of ferocity and in terms of area, is unprecedented. It's very unfortunate. And it did come and has caused a great deal of damage to us. As I said earlier on that we would certainly be drawing lessons from this, including talking with experts in Hong Kong, overseas, as well as on the mainland of China to share experiences to see whether there're better ways for us to go in the future, in terms of monitoring the red tide, its formation, its movement and also in terms of how do we develop better early warning systems if it's possible. Thank you very much.

End/Wednesday, April 15, 1998

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