THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1978
FISHING
A POPULAR OUTDOOR ACTIVITY
******
WINTER ANGLERS BEWARE.
THAT IS THE CHILLY CAUTION ISSUED BY THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT,
DURING THE WINTER MONTHS, FISHING IN HONG KONG'S RESERVOIRS IS A POPULAR OUTDOOR SPORT FOR BOTH TEENAGERS AND ADULTS.
BUT, IT WOULD BE COSTLY.
THERE ARE 17 RESERVOIRS IN ALL WHERE PEOPLE CAN BE SEEN ANGLING AT WEEKENDS. EIGHT ARE ON HONG KONG ISLAND, ONE ON LANTAU WITH THE REST IN KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.
FISHING IS NOT YET PERMITTED AT THE NEW HIGH ISLAND RESERVOIR, AND FISHING IN THE RESERVOIRS IN THE SUMMER MONTHS IS PROHIBITED BECAUSE IT IS DURING THIS PERIOD THE FISH BREED.
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR, WHICH IS THE BEGINNING OF THE FISHING SEASON, SOME 5,000 LICENCES HAVE BEEN ISSUED BY THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT.
+THE FIGURE IS GRADUALLY RISING AND WILL MOST PROBABLY TOP 7,000 BY JANUARY,+ A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT PREDICTED.
LAST SEASON ONLY 4,500 LICENCES WERE ISSUED, AND, ACCORDING TO THE SPOKESMAN, THE INTRODUCTION OF WATER RESTRICTIONS AT THAT TIME MAY HAVE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS.
WHILE THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT WISHES TO ENCOURAGE FISHING, IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT THERE IS NO ABUSE OF THE REGULATIONS, AND LICENCE HOLDERS ARE REQUESTED TO READ CAREFULLY THE CONDITIONS STIPULATED ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF THE FISHING LICENCE.
THE SPOKESMAN WARNED ENTHUSIASTS THAT THEY MUST STRICTLY OBSERVE THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE WATERWORKS ORDINANCE AND REGULATIONS, VIOLATION OF WHICH COULD RESULT IN HEAVY FINES.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED, ANYONE CONVICTED OF POLLUTION COULD BE FINED A MAXIMUM OF $10,000 AND JAILED FOR TWO YEARS, AND ANY BREACH OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE ISSUE OF A FISHING LICENCE COULD LEAD TO A FINE OF $2,000.
18 .....