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Sustainable Development of Seafood Restaurants in Sai Kung

SOSC562/301E Fall 2006

Alternative Generation November 16, 2006

Ka Lok CHANChristine LEUNGDavid MARaymond YIU

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Stakeholders• Suppliers: Fishermen, fuel/electricity/water

supply, retailers of rice/vegetables/meat/furniture, etc.

• Restaurants: Entrepreneurs, corporations, shareholders, management, employees

• Customers: Locals, foreign tourists• Government: Waste water & solid waste

treatment, tourism board, district council, medical services, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department

• Society: Taxpayers, nearby residents

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Expectation Gap

Deadweight loss

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Our Goal

• Sustaining Positive Externality

• Eliminating Negative Externality

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Nearby Residents

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Nearby Residents: Expectation

• A comfortable, hygienic living environment

• Free from noise, air, smell, wastes treatment disturbances

• Free from fire hazard

• Property value could be enhanced by the presence of seafood restaurants and the heavy tourists/population flow

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Nearby Residents: Reality

• Living environment disturbed by noise, air, smell, solid wastes, liquid wastes associated with the restaurant operations

• Risk of fire hazard

• Property value depreciated by the presence of seafood restaurants

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Question: Shall residence and restaurants be located so close to each other?

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Foreign Case: Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco

 

   

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Tourists & Customers

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Tourists & Customers: Expectation

• A comfortable dining environment

• Delicious seafood

• Free from health hazard (high hygienic standard)

• Value-for-money

• A pleasant dining experience

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Tourists & Customers : Reality

• Dining environment disturbed by smoke

• Noisy & too crowded

• Unsafe seafood (seafood poisoning)

• Overcharging/cheating on foreign tourists

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Seafood Poisoning HONG KONG: Celebrity seafood cook arrested Hong Kong’s Prince of Abalone is arrested for splashing seafood on journalists who covered a food

poisoning case South China Morning Post

Friday, July 30, 2004 By Benjamin Wong A celebrity seafood stall operator known as the Prince of Abalone was arrested yesterday after journalists

following up on a food poisoning case had water and seafood splashed over them. Chan Chung-fai, whose clients have included pop stars Nicholas Tse Ting-fung and Twins, was arrested at

his stall at Wong Nai Chung Municipal Services Building at 5pm for alleged criminal damage. Officials from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department were gathering samples after initial tests

indicated the food poisoning was caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a diarrhoea-causing bacterium of the same family as cholera.

Witnesses said that when reporters tried to follow the officials into the kitchen, the angry cook told them to back off. Then a tray of water and sea cucumber was sloshed over them.

A female newspaper journalist and two TV cameramen were soaked. Chan was released on bail last night after being questioned.

The food poisoning was reported after a family of five ate at Chan's stall on Wednesday night and four of them developed symptoms including diarrhoea and vomiting and had to be treated at hospital.

http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=13204

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Restaurant Owners

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Restaurant Owners: Expectation

• More customers

• Earning profits

• Meeting the requirements of government policies to continue their businesses

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Restaurant Owners: Reality

• Seafood safety problems,which affects their business– comma bacillus or coliform found in seafood

• Cost is increasedfor meeting the environmental regulation– e.g Quality Seawater Assurance Scheme

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Restaurant Owners: Reality (continued)

• Profit may be decreased with some new environmental policies– e.g. Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance

(Cap.371)• operated by the Tobacco Control Office, Departmen

t of Health• effective from 1 January 2007• maximum fine of $5,000

– Smoking customers may be reduced

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Employees

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Employees: Expectation• Safety working measures

• Healthy working environment, e.g. surrounding air quality

• Salary protection

• Less restriction in working when implementing government policies

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Employees: Reality• Difficulties in implementing policies

• Lowest wage problem, e.g. what should be the starting wages

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Present participation

• Quality Seawater Assurance Scheme– Initiated by the Productivity Council– Started in 17 January 2006– One-year certificate– Over 100 participants, including Fish Marketing

Organization, Park’N Shop– Optional in this stage

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Present participation (continued)

• Seafood Festival– Held by Hong Kong Tourism Board– Areas include Sai Kung, Lei Yue Mun, Lamma Island

and Cheung Chau– In October 2006 for four weeks– Expected to have a 20% growth

• Outdoor cafe plan– Started in 2003 for three years

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Seafood Restaurant Operation

ProcessingSourcing Front Shop

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ExternalityStage 1: Sourcing Stage 2: Processing Stage 3: Shop Front

NEGAT I VE

Risk about safety of seafood

- Source

(Local, Overseas)

- Water Quality

Food waste

Sewage

Noise

Grease

Food waste

Sewage

Noise

Occupying public area

POS I T I VE

Promoting Local

Economy

(E.g. Employment)

Promoting Local

Economy

(E.g. Employment)

Promoting Hong Kong

Tourism

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Alternatives generated

• Improvement of Technology

• Operation of Restaurant

• Enforcement of Law

• Urban Planning

• Education

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ExternalityStage 1: Sourcing Stage 2: Processing Stage 3: Shop Front

NEGAT I VE

Risk about safety of seafood

- Source

(Local, Overseas)

- Water Quality

Food waste

Sewage

Noise

Grease

Food waste

Sewage

Noise

Occupying public area

POS I T I VE

Promoting Local

Economy

(E.g. Employment)

Promoting Local

Economy

(E.g. Employment)

Promoting Hong Kong

Tourism

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Improvement of Technology (Processing)• Grease in the air• Contaminated water• Noise• Food Waste

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• The grease in the air may cause the nearby residents suffer from respiratory system disease

• Commercial kitchen hood is suggested to install in the kitchen to remove grease from cooking process.

• it is an engineered system of filter, ventilators and grease removal apparatuses and more.

Grease in the air

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Canopy hood

• For grease producing cooking equipment, canopy hood should be used

• The canopy hood uses the updraft concept to capture the contaminated air generated by the cooking process.

• Heated air is less dense than the surrounding air causing it to become buoyant. The contaminated air will rise up into the hood where it is captured and contained until it can be exhausted through the grease filters to the outside.

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Canopy Hood

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Filter: Multi-Stage Filtration

Most of the large grease droplet can be removed by this filter. Multi-layer filters are

inside

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Electrostatic separator

• Electrostatic separator is efficient to remove the grease that the filter cannot remove

• The grease in the air is removed by the principle of electrostatic force. The grease is ‘ionized’ and attracted to attach on the separator

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The treatment of contaminated water

• Grease trap: to separate grease and water

• Biological Agent: Add in the grease trap and reduce the grease and smell of water.

• Electrocoagulation Treatment: Some chemical is used in the treatment. Remove suspended solid

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Noise

• Only indoor noise can be reduced by technology

• Install false ceiling and use the sound-absorption material to be the wall and ceiling

• Muffler should be installed on noisy machine or equipment

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Food Waste

The bacteria in the machine can

convert the food waste into organic fertilizer in 24 hours. The size of food waste can 90%

decrease! Landfill saver!

Food waste composter

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Legal Enforcement (Processing)

• Restaurant Environmental Protection Requirement • Air Pollution Control Ordinance ( 空氣污染管制條例 )• Noise Control Ordinance ( 噪音管制條例 )• Water Pollution Control Ordinance ( 水污染管制條例 )• Waste Disposal Ordinance ( 廢物處置條例 )• How is the implementation of the law?

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Legal Enforcement (The Process)Checking before getting the license…

• Electrical and Mechanical Services Department– Design and Installation of Kitchen Exhaust System– Noise Consideration in Design and Installation of

Ventilating System– Drainage Consideration and Treatment of Wastewater

• All installations function well at the beginning. Operation and Maintenance? More regular checking

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Operation of Restaurant (Processing)Document I• Environmental Guidelines by Green restaurant association • (International Organization)• 1. Energy Efficiency & Conservation• 2. Water Efficiency & Conservation• 3. Recycling & Composting • 4. Sustainable Food • – Sustainable food products support the long-term maintenance of ecosystems • 5. Pollution Prevention• 6. Recycled, Tree-Free, Biodegradable & Organic Products• 7. Chlorine-Free Paper Products• 8. Non-Toxic Cleaning & Chemical Products – environmental friendly cleaning products • 9. Green Power – Renewable and Environmental friendly Energy Source• 10. Green Building & Construction • – Reducing negative impacts on environment and community• 11. Employee Education

• Efficiency / Conservation / Recycle / Non-toxic / Pollution Prevention• Raw material / Energy / Food products / Cleaning Products• Education

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Operation of Restaurant (Processing)Document II• A Practical Guide book towards environmental friendly restaurant by EPD • (Local Government)• 1. Side products of restaurant (Pollution Reduction)

• Grease• Sewage• Soot• Noise• Solid Waste

• 2. Energy Conservation• 3. Management and Employee Education

• Conservation / Pollution• Side Products / Energy• Education

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Operation of Restaurant (Processing)

• Encouraging restaurant to operate according to the guideline set by EPD

• Affirming sustainability as one of the goal of the company

• Educating employee to understand the concept of sustainability

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ExternalityStage 1: Sourcing Stage 2: Processing Stage 3: Shop Front

NEGAT I VE

Risk about safety of seafood

- Source

(Local, Overseas)

- Water Quality

Food waste

Sewage

Noise

Grease

Food waste

Sewage

Noise

Occupying public area

POS I T I VE

Promoting Local

Economy

(E.g. Employment)

Promoting Local

Economy

(E.g. Employment)

Promoting Hong Kong

Tourism

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Legal Enforcement (Sourcing)

• Seawater Quality (for keeping fish)

• Source of Fish

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Seawater Quality• 2003 – Seafood Wholesale License • 2006 – Quality Seawater Assurance Scheme

– The objective of the QSAS is to enhance the quality of supplied seawater so as to minimize the risk of contamination of seafood.

– Criteria for The Quality Seawater Logo HolderSeafood restaurants / sales outlets that utilize seawater from Accredited Quality Seawater Suppliers or prepare their own synthetic seawater using marine salts and tap water.

• The Seafood Restaurant in Sai Kung has still not participated in the scheme.

• Benefit: Visitors or customers can be well-informed and have the confident to make their choice.

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Source of Fish• 2004 - Code of Practice On The Import and Sale of Live Marine Fi

sh for Human Consumption• In response to several cases of Ciguatera fish poisoning is repor

ted in Hong Kong in 2004. This Code of Practice is produced. • Importers, wholesalers and retailers should keep proper and acc

urate records of the supplies and distribution of all live marine fish with details to allow effective control measures in case of the occurrence of ciguatera fish poisoning cases,

• As there are not so much importers, wholesalers and retailers follow this code of practice, government is considering having legislation.

• Benefit: This legislation can control the local supplied seafood (sanpan sale) and also international supplied seafood.

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• Illegal business

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ExternalityStage 1: Sourcing Stage 2: Processing Stage 3: Shop Front

NEGAT I VE

Risk about safety of seafood

- Source

(Local, Overseas)

- Water Quality

Food waste

Sewage

Noise

Grease

Food waste

Sewage

Noise

Occupying public area

POS I T I VE

Promoting Local

Economy

(E.g. Employment)

Promoting Local

Economy

(E.g. Employment)

Promoting Hong Kong

Tourism

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Law Enforcement (Shop Front)

• Application for Outside Seating Accommodation• Some requirements for the seating accommodation • 1. Transport Requirements

– Walkway on which OSA is proposed should be at least 5m wide and a clear width of 2m or more should be available for pedestrian circulation at all times.

• 2. Main Licensing Conditions for Restaurants providing OSA– No preparation (including self-service hot-pot or barbecue), display or storage

of open food, or cleaning or storage of any equipment or utensils used in the preparation or service of food is allowed in the OSA.

– The business hours in the OSA should generally be confined to the period from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Modification to this condition will be considered on individual merits.

– Approval for OSA may be revoked at any time when its existence is incompatible with its surrounding area or environment. 9.

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Law Enforcement (Shop Front)

• Outside Seating Accommodation• Increasing the width for pedestrians. • No storage of utensils in OSA• Restricted time period for using OSA• Reviewing the approval of OSA at a certain period of time

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Policy and Urban Planning (1) • Example: Agenda 21 for Baltic Sea Region Tourism• European countries join together to work out the principle about

sustainable tourism in the Baltic Sea Region.• Agree on the following principles for sustainable tourism:• (No 8. in the whole list of principles) Tourism should be developed

in a way so that it benefits the local communities, strengthens the local economy, employs local workforce and wherever ecologically sustainable, uses local materials, local agricultural products and traditional skills. Mechanisms, including policies and legislation should be introduced to ensure the flow of benefits to local communities. Tourism activities should respect the ecological characteristics and capacity of the local environment in which they take place. All efforts should be made to respect traditional lifestyles and cultures.

• Community-oriented planning

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Policy and Urban Planning (2) • Current Case:

Role of Sai Kung – New Outline Zoning Plan for Sai Kung Town• The role of Sai Kung Town as a gateway to the district's recreational

outlets will be strengthened and the new draft Outline Zoning Plan for Sai Kung Town, was published in 2005. In order to strengthen Sai Kung Town as a tourism gateway, about 11.2 hectares have been designated for specific uses, such as commercial, cultural, hotel, recreational, heritage tourism, beach-related leisure, multi-storey vehicle park, boat servicing, petrol station, public transport terminus and pier uses.

• Re-planning of the community

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Policy and Urban Planning (3) • Principle in re-planning: Sustainable Landuse• Conventional view: • Sustainable landuse planning is to segregated land u

se which means keeping workplaces and services far from residences in order to promote land-use patterns that

minimize transport demands, save energy and protect open and green spaces.

• However, in the case of Sai Kung, appropriate urban density is prime importance for urban development.

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Education

• Educating restaurant owners and staff about green restaurant

• Educating tourists / visitors to be aware of the environmental responsibility while visiting a place

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Measures Stage 1: Sourcing Stage 2: Processing Stage 3: Shop Front

Improvement of Technology

Operation of Restaurant

Enforcement of Law

Urban Planning

Education

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Conclusion

We will conduct interviews to seek the opinion from different stakeholders and further modify our plan of sustainable seafood restaurant.