Exclusive: Dilapidated dredger stranded off Lamma Island all year, owner faces fine over late report

2026-03-30 - 04:33

A 54-metre dredger has been stranded off a rural Lamma Island beach all year, with the owners facing prosecution for failing to report the incident. The stranded Sea Diamond dredger off Ha Mei Wan, Lamma Island, on March 16th 2026. Photo Tom Grundy/HKFP. The 50-year-old Sea Diamond, a dilapidated cutter section dredger, was partly submerged when HKFP visited the vessel off Ha Mei Wan on March 19. The stranded Sea Diamond dredger off Ha Mei Wan, Lamma Island, on March 16th 2026. Photo Tom Grundy/HKFP. A Marine Department spokesperson told HKFP last Monday that they received a complaint from a member of the public in early January. “With information provided by the shipowner, water ingress was detected while the vessel was being towed, thus forcing it to be beached at its current location to prevent it from sinking,” the spokesperson said. The stranded Sea Diamond dredger off Ha Mei Wan, Lamma Island, on March 16th 2026. Photo Tom Grundy/HKFP. The department added it would “initiate prosecution as appropriate,” with the owner facing a HK$10,000 fine for failing to report the incident within 24 hours. A salvage plan is in place, and the dredger is expected to be removed in April. The stranded Sea Diamond dredger off Ha Mei Wan, Lamma Island, on March 16th 2026. Photo Tom Grundy/HKFP. Dredgers are used as underwater excavators, cutting and sucking up material from the seabed before discharging it via pipelines. The stranded Sea Diamond dredger off Ha Mei Wan, Lamma Island, on March 16th 2026. Photo Tom Grundy/HKFP. The ageing Sea Diamond was built in Singapore in 1976. It is unclear who the current owner is. The stranded Sea Diamond dredger off Ha Mei Wan, Lamma Island, on March 16th 2026. Photo Tom Grundy/HKFP. According to Hong Kong’s Shipping and Port Control Ordinance, if stricken vessels are not removed by the owner, the Marine Department will make arrangements and recover costs from the owner. The stranded Sea Diamond dredger off Ha Mei Wan, Lamma Island, on March 16th 2026. Photo Tom Grundy/HKFP. The department also said that “the shipowner has been reminded to take appropriate precautionary measures to prevent oil pollution; to this end, the shipowner has deployed pollution-preventing booms around the vessel.” The stranded Sea Diamond dredger off Ha Mei Wan, Lamma Island, on March 16th 2026. Photo Tom Grundy/HKFP. The vessel is unpropelled, so no fuel was on board. The stranded Sea Diamond dredger off Ha Mei Wan, Lamma Island, on March 16th 2026. Photo Tom Grundy/HKFP. However, decaying metal vessels can still release toxic materials such as heavy metals into the ocean. While visiting the vessel, HKFP saw that the protective booms had been breached in several areas. The stranded Sea Diamond dredger off Ha Mei Wan, Lamma Island, on March 16th 2026. Photo Tom Grundy/HKFP. Island District Councillor Lau Shun-ting did not respond to HKFP’s questions, including queries about pollution concerns, but said on Friday that she was “monitoring” the situation. The stranded Sea Diamond dredger off Ha Mei Wan, Lamma Island, on March 16th 2026. Photo Tom Grundy/HKFP.