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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1980
THE SOPHISTICATED ACOUSTIC EQUIPMENT, ON PERMANENT LOAN
FROM THE PHILIPPINES-BASED SOUTH CHINA SEA FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT AND CO-ORDINATION PROGRAMME ADMINISTERED BY THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANISATION (FAO) OF THE UNITED NATIONS, HAS ALREADY BEEN TRANSFERRED FROM THE CAPE ST MARY TO THE 867-TONNE TAI SHUN.
THE FISHERIES RESEARCH VESSEL WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FISHING GEAR AND WILL TRY TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF FISHING METHODS NOW IN USE. IT WILL ALSO STUDY THE SUITABILITY OF FISHING TECHNIQUES CURRENTLY BEING USED IN THE NORTHERN SECTOR OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.
THIS AREA HAS BEEN USED BY THE MAJORITY OF THE HONG KONG FISHING FLEET AND REPRESENTS A FISHING GROUND THAT LOCAL VESSELS ARE CAPABLE OF EXPLOITING.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT STRESSED THAT RESEARCH WAS NECESSARY AS FISH IS A MAJOR PROTEIN FOOD SOURCE FOR MOST PEOPLE IN HONG KONG.
+THE PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD AND ABOUT 90 PER CENT OF LOCAL CONSUMPTION OF FRESH MAR I NE FISH IS CURRENTLY MET BY THE HONG KONG FLEET, HE SAID.
DESIGNED IN CANADA AND BUILT BY THE CHUNG WAH SHIPBUILDING AND ENGINEERING CO. LTD. IN HONG KONG, THE TAI SHUN HAS A CRUISING RANGE OF 8 000 NAUTICAL MILES AND IS ABLE TO STAY AT SEA FOR UP TO ONE MONTH. IT WILL BE MANNED BY A CREW OF 17 AND FIVE SCIENTISTS WHO WILL WORK FROM TWO LABORATORIES.
HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE JANUARY TO AUGUST
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TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FOR JANUARY TO AUGUST 1980, VALUED AT $132 874 MILLION, SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 32 PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1979.
DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY 28 PER CENT TO $43 963 MILLION, IMPORTS BY 32 PER CENT TO $70 560 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS BY 47 PER CENT TO $18 351 MILLION. DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS TOGETHER SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 33 PER CENT.
CHANGES IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE TEN MAJOR OVERSEAS MARKETS ARE RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY AS FOLLOWS:
/U.S.A.