Fun park, fatal foundation
Large-scale fish deaths have sparked a livelihood crisis in the Penny Bay region of Hong Kong. The cause of the fatalities is said to be reclamation work on about 160 hectares of land along the island for a Disney park. Fish farmers have been offered us $641,000 as compensation for the fish deaths, an amount believed to be too meagre as they claim to have suffered losses to the tune of us $102.6 million.
Around 6.6 million fish have died since the government started dredging two years ago. Silt brought out by dredging clogged the gills of the fish. Yip Sai-chor, assistant director of civil engineering department, said the government will take extra precautions in the second phase of reclamation. But fish farmers are unhappy with the government's stand and want the park project to be scrapped.