A number of government departments are closely monitoring the situation regarding plastic pellets which fell off a ship during a recent story, for fear it may drift to Macao. So far there is no sign of them.

According to Hong Kong authorities, six containers filled with pellets were lost from a ship in waters south of Hong Kong during Typhoon Vicente last month. A quantity of the pellets washed onto a number of beaches.

The Port Authority said no plastic pellet was found in Macao’s waters nor along the coasts. If plastic pellets are found, the authority will immediately send a team to clean them up.

The Environmental Protection Bureau said the plastic pellets are non-toxic and had not polluted the sea, according to the information from the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department. The Bureau will continue to monitor the changes of water quality in Macao and the neighbouring waters.

The Health Bureau said the plastic pellets are non-toxic that will not harm human body. Considering there is a certain distance between Hong Kong and Macao, and the pellets are not dissolvable in water, the incident will have limited effect on Macao. The Bureau appealed to residents not to worry.

The Civil and Municipal Affairs Bureau has enhanced examination on live fisheries and local catches, and suggested people remove organs and clean thoroughly any fish before cooking.