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Food Safety, Environmental Hygiene, Agriculture and Fisheries
improved varieties of vegetable and fruit (watercress, papaya and milk pak choi) were introduced to farmers for cultivation in Hong Kong.
The AFCD and the VMO have managed the voluntary Accredited Farm Scheme since 1994 with the aim of providing a stable supply of high quality and safe vegetables. As at the end of 2014, 305 farms in Hong Kong, Guangdong and Ningxia Autonomous Region, spreading over 3,012 hectares of land, have been accredited under the scheme.
Leisure farms have become popular places for recreation in recent years. In collaboration with the local agricultural sector, the AFCD's Guide to Hong Kong Leisure Farms 2014 and the Federation of Vegetable Marketing Co-operative Societies' website help showcase a variety of leisure farms in Hong Kong to visitors.
Following an undertaking in the 2014 Policy Address to review, and consult on, agricultural policy, the government released for public consultation 'The New Agricultural Policy: Sustainable Agricultural Development in Hong Kong' on 29 December 2014, seeking public views on a more proactive approach towards the modernisation and sustainable development of local agriculture. The public consultation will run until the end of March 2015.
Fisheries Industry
Fresh fish is one of Hong Kong's most important primary products. In 2014, fish caught and fish. reared in ponds and floating cages at sea amounted to about 164,200 tonnes with a value of $2.7 billion.
Hong Kong's fishing fleet consists of some 4,540 vessels, manned by about 9,400 local fishermen and some 4,800 Mainland deckhands. These include larger vessels mainly operating in the South China Sea, and smaller vessels in local waters. The total catch in 2014 weighed 160,789 tonnes and had an estimated wholesale value of $2.53 billion. The industry provided some 66,000 tonnes of fish for local consumption during the year.
Licensed by the AFCD, 968 mariculturists operate in 26 designated fish culture zones, supplying the market in 2014 with about 1,255 tonnes of live marine fish valued at $115 million.
Freshwater and brackish water fish are reared in fish ponds located mainly in the northwestern part of the New Territories. In 2014, pond fish culture yielded some 2,001 tonnes of fish, or 2 per cent of local freshwater fish consumption.
The AFCD combats destructive fishing practices to ensure sustainable development of the fishing industry and to conserve fisheries resources in Hong Kong waters. Fourteen cases of illegal fishing were successfully prosecuted in 2014.
The AFCD assists the industry in various ways to cope with the challenges it faces, including providing credit facilities for fishermen and owners of fish collectors to switch to sustainable fisheries, or to reduce fuel consumption or the carbon footprint of their operations, and for fish farmers to improve their aquaculture business. Free training courses were also offered to fishermen during the annual fishing moratorium and at Chinese New Year in 2014. A $500
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