More than a hundred fishing boats gathered off Lamma Island, where the Hong Kong Electric Company's (HKEC) main power plant is located, protesting against alleged damage to the local seabed ecosystem caused by the company's new natural gas pipeline and demanding compensation.

The fishermen said the concrete casing of the natural gas pipeline had altered the sea currents in surrounding waters and led to a 70 per cent decrease in the volume of fish in recent years.

The protestors threw several strings of foam floats into the sea to simulate fishing nets being blocked by the pipeline and claimed the artificial underwater structure had affected about 2,000 households dependent on fishing in the area.

An HKEC spokesperson accepted a written petition from the fishermen but insisted the pipeline's effect on local currents was minimal and tests had shown no abnormality in water quality.

(www.881903.com)