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Guardians of the waters (Photos: Leong Cheok Nang)

Government Information Bureau

2023-08-18 19:26

Macao is a coastal city offering moments of calm and leisure. The Marine and Water Bureau has responsibility for maintaining the cleanliness of the coast and of Macao’s surrounding waters, and to ensure safe marine navigation. Every day, Bureau staff patrol beaches, coastal waters, waterways, and harbour basins.
Bureau crews conduct waterway clean-ups, clearing accumulated debris whenever they are sighted. Rainfall, typhoons, and the direction for the wind, as well as tidal movements, can each affect the location and amount of waterborne rubbish.
Bureau crews conduct waterway clean-ups, clearing accumulated debris whenever they are sighted. Rainfall, typhoons, and the direction for the wind, as well as tidal movements, can each affect the location and amount of waterborne rubbish.
The most common forms of waterborne junk are bits of dead wood, dumped household materials, and water lilies. In 2022, a total of 305.9 tonnes of marine solid waste was cleared from Macao’s waters.
The Marine and Water Bureau also has the job of monitoring for signs of oil pollution in the marine environment. Defensive steps that can be taken include: placing temporary floating barriers on the water to trap the oil; using paper or cotton to catch it; utilising skimmers; or sometimes introducing dispersing agents to break up the oil. In 2022, approximately 30 tonnes of oil were dealt with in Macao’s waters.
Bureau crews are also responsible for daily maintenance of buoys, to ensure safe and navigable waterways.
Marine missions sometimes take place in strong wind and rain, and stormy waters. Occasionally crews need to be on the water in the dark. This fully tests their physical fitness and adaptability.
Nautical charts and tide tables are essentials for any marine mission, in order to navigate safely across various water channels. Such charts and tables depend on data collected at the actual location, which are then subject to calculation and analysis. A Marine and Water Bureau staff member is pictured making sonar readings in water.
The Marine and Water Bureau has survey ships to conduct hydrographic surveys within Macao’s waters. The vessels collect data required for making nautical charts and tide tables.
Come rain or shine, Bureau crews have to go out to work on the water, in order to keep it clean and navigable. We should thank them for their contribution, and appreciate their hard work onshore and on the water.