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THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 1976
FISHERMEN URGED TO ADAPT TO CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES
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THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, MR. EDWARD NICHOLS, TODAY URGED FISHERMEN IN HONG KONG TO BE PREPARED TO ADAPT TO CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES AND NEEDS WHILE EXPLOITING NEW FISHING GROUNDS AND RESOURCES.
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF A NEW EXTENSION TO THE ABERDEEN WHOLESALE FISH MARKET, HE POINTED OUT THAT OVER 90 PER CENT OF THE CAPTURE FISHERIES AROSE FROM THE UTILISATION OF CERTAIN TRADITIONAL DEMERSAL RESOURCES.
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THERE WERE CLEAR SIGNS THAT HONG KONG HAD REACHED THE LIMIT OF THE SUSTAINABLE YIELD FROM THESE RESOURCES AND WE CANNOT AFFORD TO OVER-FISH THESE STOCKS.+
HE SAID THE FISHERIES RESEARCH DIVISION OF HIS DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN DOING MOST EFFECTIVELY IN LOOKING FOR NEW GROUNDS AND RESOURCES. +BUT ONCE THESE NEW RESOURCES ARE DISCOVERED IT IS UP TO YOU IN THE FLEET TO EXPLOIT THEM,+
HOWEVER, IN VIEW OF THE RECORD OF THE FISHERMEN'S PAST ACHIEVEMENTS, MR. NICHOLS SAID HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE FISHING FLEET WOULD RESPOND HANDSOMELY TO THE CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE.
+ON THE MARKETING SIDE,+ HE CONTINUED, +WE MUST BE EQUALLY PREPARED TO ADAPT TO FUTURE NEEDS AND IT WAS WITH THIS IN VIEW THAT THIS PRESENT EXTENSION WAS CONSTRUCTED.+
THE BUILDING WAS DESIGNED NOT ONLY FOR FISH MARKETING BUT ALSO TO ACCOMMODATE THE PROCESSING OF FISHERY PRODUCTS. +THE LATTER, IT IS CONSIDERED, WILL BECOME AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF MARKETING IN THE FUTURE, ESPECIALLY AS AND WHEN WE START EXPLOITING THE PELAGIC RESOURCES OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.
THE DIRECTOR TOLD THE GATHERING THAT THE FISH MARKETING ORGANISATION HAD BEEN PLANNING FOR SOME TIME TO SET UP NEW MARKETING FACILITIES AT TAI PO, CASTLE PEAK, SHAU KEI WAN AND EVEN ULTIMATELY AT CHEUNG SHA WAN,
IN THIS EXPANSION PROGRAMME, HOWEVER, HE SAID MUCH WOULD DEPEND ON THE RATE OF PROGRESS IN GOVERNMENT RECLAMATION WORKS WHICH, MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, DICTATED THE SPEED OF IMPLEMENTA- TION.
TOUCHING ON THE FISHING INDUSTRY, MR. NICHOLS SAID PROGRESS IN DEVELOPMENT WAS NOT ALWAYS EASY AND THE LAST TWO YEARS IN PARTICULAR HAD PRESENTED MANY PROBLEMS.
+DESPITE THIS SITUATION, HOWEVER, IT IS PLEASING TO NOTE THAT LAST YEAR THE VOLUME OF FISH LANDINGS THROUGH THE F.M.O. INCREASED BY SOME EIGHT PER CENT. SUCH A GROWTH RATE IS IMPRESSIVE BY ANY STANDARDS AND ALL CONCERNED WITH OUR FISHING INDUSTRY CAN BE PROUD OF THIS ACHIEVEMENT, HE SAID,
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