Hong Kong official vows to mull legal changes after discovery of whale carcass sparked anger

By KANIS LEUNG
Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong government official has vowed to mull legal changes and set up protocols to better protect whales after the discovery of a carcass sparked anger on social media and speculation that sightseers had contributed to the animal’s death. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said Tuesday it was still unclear whether wounds on the whale had caused its death. But he suggested whale-watching activities could have disturbed or hurt the whale after it was first spotted in the city in mid-July. He pledged to strengthen public education, set up protocols to handle whales in the city’s waters and review existing laws, which he said had created challenges for officials to restrict vessels from entering certain areas.