MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1981
AQUACULTURE IS BIG GROWTH INDUSTRY HERE
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DEMANDS FOR QUALITY PROTEIN IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA REGION HAVE LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION INTO A SIZEABLE INDUSTRY, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (FISHERIES), MR ROY CHILVERS SAID TODAY (MONDAY).
PRODUCTION OF MARINE CULTURE FISH IN HONG KONG LAST YEAR FROM SOME 1 500 FARMS WAS ABOUT 760 TONNES, VALUED AT ABOUT $38 MILLION, HE SAID.
MR CHILVERS WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF A 10-DAY TRAINING COURSE ON CAGE CULTURE FOR FINFISH ORGANISED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT AND FUNDED BY THE SOUTH CHINA SEA FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT AND CO-ORDINATING PROGRAMME OF THE UNITED NATIONS.
SEVENTEEN REPRESENTATIVES FROM SEVEN ASIAN COUNTRIES ARE ATTENDING THE COURSE BEING HELD IN THE DEPARTMENT'S ABERDEEN OFFICE.
+OVER THE PAST DECADE, COUNTRIES BORDERING THE SOUTH CHINA SEA HAVE SEEN RAPID DEVELOPMENT IN AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION TO MEET THE INCREASING DEMANDS FOR QUALITY PROTE IN FROM THE GROWING POPULACE OF THE REGION,+ MR CHILVERS SAID.
+HONG KONG IS NO EXCEPTION, BUT BECAUSE OF HER SCARCITY OF LAND AND FAVOURABLE ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES, SMALL-SCALE CAGE CULTURE OF HIGH-PRICED MARINE FISH HAS FLOURISHED AND DEVELOPED INTO A SIZEABLE INDUSTRY.+
WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT CAME MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS, AND IN 1980 THE MARINE FISH CULTURE ORDINANCE WAS PASSED TO REGULATE AND PROTECT THE INDUSTRY.
THIS ORDINANCE WAS BEING IMPLEMENTED, AND WOULD REQUIRE CAGE CULTURE TO BE PRACTISED ONLY UNDER LICENCE IN DESIGNATED ZONES AROUND THE HONG KONG COAST, MR CHILVERS SAID.
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, IN THE SPIRIT OF TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION AMONG DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, RECOGNISED THE POTENTIAL OF CAGE CULTURE AS A VIABLE MÉTHOD OF FISH PROTEIN PRODUCTION ELSEWHERE, AND AGREED TO HOST THIS COURSE.
STAFF OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT HAD VISITED CERTAIN COUNTRIES IN THE REGION TO HELP SET UP CAGE CULTURE PROJECTS.
/DURING THE