WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1975
HONG KONG JOINS FISH RESEARCH PROJECT
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HONG KONG IS CO-OPERATING WITH EIGHT OTHER COUNTRIES IN A JOINT RESEARCH PROJECT TO EXPLORE +UNTAPPED+ LARGE RESERVES OF PELAGIC FISH RESOURCES IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA TO MEET THE ANTICIPATED GROWING NEED FOR MARINE PRODUCTS IN FUTURE.
THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, MR. EDWARD NICHOLS, SAID THE NATURE OF THESE RESERVES IN TERMS OF SPECIES AND SITUATION WAS INDISTINCTLY KNOWN AND THE EXPLORATORY PROGRAMME AIMS AT ASCERTAINING MORE DETAILS, CONFIRMING AND THEN EXPLOITING THESE RESOURCES.
ADDRESSING A LUNAR NEW YEAR CEREMONY HELD AT THE CHEUNG SHA WAN FISH MARKETING ORGANISATION TODAY (WEDNESDAY), MR. NICHOLS SAID RESEARCH VESSELS OF THE PROJECT WOULD, HOPEFULLY JOIN A SIMILAR VESSEL OF HIS DEPARTMENT THE CAPE ST. MARY AND BE OPERATIONAL WITHIN HONG KONG'S OWN AREA IN THE EARLY SUMMER MONTHS.
ONCE THE PELAGIC RESOURCES ARE IDENTIFIED, MR. NICHOLS NOTED THAT NEW HORIZONS COULD OPEN UP FOR THE LOCAL FISHING INDUSTRY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME +NEW PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES WILL FACE US WHICH WE CAN ONLY SURMOUNT BY FACING THEM TOGETHER.+
FISHING TECHNIQUES NEW TO HONG KONG MIGHT HAVE TO BE INTRODUCED AND DEVELOPED TO EXPLOIT THIS RESOURCE. +THIS SUGGESTS THAT NOT ONLY WILL FISHING CREWS NEED TO BE RE-TRAINED BUT ALSO THAT AT LEAST PART OF THE FLEET WILL NEED TO BE RE-EQUIPPED.
+ON THE MARKETING SIDE, THE CONSUMER WILL HAVE TO BE RE-EDUCATED TO ACCEPT NEW AND POSSIBLY UNFAMILIAR FISH ON THE MARKET SLAB. HERE WE WILL NEED TO BE PATIENT IN THE SHORT TERM IN ORDER TO REAP LONGER TERM BENEFITS,+ HE SAID,
LOOKING AHEAD OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS, MR. NICHOLS FORESAW EVEN GREATER CHALLENGES FOR THE HONG KONG FISHING FLEET. HIS DEPARTMENT HAD PREPARED A LONG RANGE FORECAST OF WHAT HONG KONG WOULD REQUIRE IN THE WAY OF FISH AND MARINE PRODUCTS BY 1986.
+ASSUMING A NORMAL GROWTH RATE COMPARABLE TO THE PAST TEN YEARS, THE EVIDENCE POINTS TO A NEED TO PRODUCE AT LEAST AN ADDITIONAL 50 - 60,000 METRIC TONS OF MARINE PRODUCTS BY THAT RATE.+
/ON THE