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PRIMARY PRODUCTION
This divided responsibility gave rise to many disadvantages and Government decided, with the agreement of the University, to set up a single authority to direct fisheries activities. In July 1960, the fisheries division was transferred to the renamed Co-operative Development and Fisheries Department and was joined one month later by the fisheries research unit, now known as the fisheries research station. As fresh water pond fisheries in Hong Kong are closely connected with land utilization, extension work on com- mercial fish ponds remained the responsibility of the Agriculture and Forestry Department, although the basic research work on pond fisheries is the responsibility of the new department.
Marine fisheries extension work includes investigations into and demonstrations of fishing methods, craft and fishing gear; the in- troduction of new fishing techniques; the promotion and sound development of a mechanization programme; the training of fisher- men for certificates of competency as masters and engineers; the instruction of local fishermen in navigation; the extension of oyster farming and the culture of pearls. A modified junk-type mechan- ized fishing vessel, the Yuen Ling, is used as a general purpose inshore demonstration vessel and a small steel trawler, the Alister Hardy, has been converted into a floating classroom to provide practical instruction and experience for fishermen studying navigation.
Problems such as over-fishing and the conservation of fish re- sources receive constant attention. Legislation introduced during the year provides the necessary authority for comprehensive pro- tection measures, particularly against the use of explosives and toxic substances.
Both the Yuen Ling and the Alister Hardy have been converted to enable them to be used to investigate the potential of single boat stern-otter trawling, as compared with the two boat trawling now practised by local boats. At the same time the trend toward the modification of a traditional junk design to meet modern re- quirements, particularly those of mechanization, is being encour- aged. Several large modified Kwong Sun type deep-sea trawlers are now operating and their design includes radical departures from the usual junk layout. Although originally intended for pair trawling, these boats are fitted with diesel engines of 240 bhp, and are designed so that they may readily be converted for single