WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 1980
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IT HAS PROVIDED PROTECTION FOR MANUFACTURERS AND EXPORTERS OF HONG KONG AGAINST THE RISKS OF THE IR NOT BEING PAID FOR THE GOODS AND SERVICES THEY SUPPLY TO OVERSEAS CLIENTS, AND IN THIS WAY HAS CONTRIBUTED TO HONG KONG'S EXPORT TRADE.
THERE ARE TWO MAIN CAUSES OF CLAIMS: THE COMMERCIAL ONE, IN THAT AN OVERSEAS BUYER BECOMES BANKRUPT, DEFAULTS ON PAYMENT OR REPUDIATES HIS CONTRACT- AND THE POLITICAL OR ECONOMIC ONE, INVOLVING A CHANGE IN THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE BUYER'S COUNTRY.
INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY IN MARINE FISH CULTURE MEANS MORE JOBS
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INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY IN THE MARINE FISH CULTURE INDUSTRY WOULD MEAN AN EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY OF SOME 20 000 JOBS, MAINLY ON A PART-TIME BASIS FOR OLDER PEOPLE OR WOMEN, SAID THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, THE HON. TED NICHOLS TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE SECOND READING OF THE MARINE FISH CULTURE BILL 1980 IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR. NICHOLS SAID THE LOCAL INDUSTRY EMPLOYED SOME 5 600 ADULTS, OF WHOM 70 PER CENT REGARDED MARICULTURE AS THEIR PRINCIPAL, BUT NOT NECESSARILY FULL TIME, OCCUPATION.
AND
+ASSUMING ADEQUATE SUPPLIES OF FISH FRY AND FISH FEED, THE AVAILABILITY OF SUITABLE AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDUSTRY THE INTRODUCTION OF APPROPRIATE REGULATORY MEASURES, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT BY INTRODUCING MORE SOPHISTICATED HUSBANDRY TECHNIQUES, THE PRODUCTION OF CAGE FISH CULTURE CAN BE DOUBLED.
+BASED ON THE ESTIMATED MAXIMUM AREA OF WATER AVAILABLE FOR MARICULTURE, THE PRODUCTION OF FISH FROM SUCH CULTURE COULD POTENTIALLY REACH 15 000 METRIC TONNES A YEAR, OR ABOUT 10 PER CENT BY WEIGHT OF THE 1978 LEVEL OF MARINE CAPTURE FISHERY LANDINGS,+ SAID MR. NICHOLS.
HE SAID THAT AT PRESENT THERE WERE SOME 2 300 RAFTS WITH A TOTAL AREA OF 16.5 HECTARES IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS. ABOUT 16 HECTARES OF THE SEA WERE IMPOUNDED.
IN 1978 THE INDUSTRY PRODUCED 680 METRIC TONNES OF FISH, MAINLY SEA BREAM, GAROUPA AND SNAPPER. THE PRODUCTION REPRESENTED 0.5 PER CENT BY WEIGHT AND FIVE PER CENT BY VALUE OF THE TOTAL LANDINGS OF FISH AND OTHER MARINE PRODUCTS.
MR. NICHOLS SAID ALTHOUGH THE DEMAND FOR LIVE FISH WAS LIKELY TO GROW WITH INCREASED PROSPERITY, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDUSTRY WAS SUBJECT TO A NUMBER OF CONSTRAINTS INCLUDING THE SUPPLY OF FRY AND FEED THE AVAILABILITY OF SUITABLE LOCATIONS LOCALISED OVER- CROWDING DUE TO LACK OF CO-ORDINATED CONTROL INEFFICIENT TECHNIQUES CAUSING HIGHER PRODUCTION COSTS AND A GENERAL LACK OF SUITABLE REGULATIONS.
ON THE CREDIT SIDE MR. NICHOLS SAID ALTHOUGH THE LOCAL MARINE FISH CULTURE INDUSTRY PROVIDED ONLY A LIMITED CONTRIBUTION TO MEETING THE PROTEIN NEEDS OF HONG KONG'S POPULATION, IT DID HAVE SOME MERITS.
/AS AN