PRIMARY PRODUCTION
128
1995. The total catch of live and fresh marine fish available for local consumption amounted to 86 350 tonnes, with an estimated wholesale value of $1,160 million.
Marine fish culture is practised within 26 designated fish culture zones, most of which are on the coast of the eastern New Territories. Fish culture licences are issued by the Agriculture and Fisheries Department. At the year's end, there were 1 591 licensed mariculturists. They supplied 2 950 tonnes of live marine fish valued at $181 million during the year.
Freshwater fish are also cultured in ponds covering 1 190 hectares, mostly in the north-western New Territories where they form part of the wetland system of conservation interest. The area devoted to fish ponds has gradually declined with the increasing urbanisation of the New Territories. During the year, pond culture yielded 5 250 tonnes, or 11 per cent, of freshwater fish for local consumption.
Fisheries Development
The inshore marine environment is under unprecedented pressure from large-scale dredging for marine fill, dumping of mud and reclamation. This affects water quality and destroys extensive areas of seabed habitats that support the marine fauna and fisheries resources. To mitigate such damage, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department has been pursuing a fisheries habitat enhancement project. It aims at using artificial reefs to enhance the marine habitat favoured by commercial fish. A variety of artificial habitats will be introduced over a significant area to help rehabilitate damaged seabed, protect sensitive nursery areas and increase fish production.
Aquaculture studies are directed towards the development of more efficient culture systems and improved husbandry techniques to increase productivity and minimise the impact on the environment. A moist pellet preparation, which has higher nutritional value and lower adverse impact on the marine environment than the traditional trash fish feed, was introduced to mariculturists.
The larger vessels in Hong Kong's fishing fleet are among the most modern in the region, despite their traditional wooden hulls. The department continues to stimulate the modernisation trend by maintaining development input and providing free advisory services on fishing vessel hull design (including steel hulls) and fishing methods, as well as fishing equipment.
Training classes are held for operators, covering the conventional skills required for safe and effective operation of fishing vessels as well as the use of more sophisticated electronic aids such as radar, weather facsimile and, most recently, satellite communications. The department also organises sea-fishing endorsement courses to train operators to standards required by the Marine Department for steel-hulled fishing vessels. The courses are organised regularly at major fishing ports.
The department administers four loan funds servicing the fishing industry: the Fisheries Development Loan Fund, the Fish Marketing Organisation Loan Fund, the World Refugee Year Loan Fund and the Co-operative for American Relief Everywhere Loan Fund. By December 31, loans issued since the inception of the four funds totalled $288 million.