TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1985
MORE FISH MARKETS PLANNED
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A NEW FISH MARKET IS BEING BUILT AT YIM TIN TSAI, TAI PO BY THE FISH MARKETING ORGANISATION (F.M.0.) AND TWO MORE ARE BEING PLANNED AT YAU TONG AND TUEN MUN, THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, DR J.M. RIDDELL-SWAN SAID.
SPEAKING AT THE F.M.O. LUNAR NEW YEAR ANNUAL PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONY AT THE ABERDEEN WHOLESALE FISH MARKET TODAY (TUESDAY), DR RIDDELL-SWAN SAID CATCHES MADE BY THE FISHING FLEET DURING 1984 INCREASED BY SIX PER CENT IN WEIGHT AND 11 PER CENT IN VALUE OVER THE FIGURES FOR THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
DR RIDDELL-SWAN SAID THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT HAD CONTINUED TO HELP FISHERMEN INCREASE THE IR PRODUCTIVITY AND FISHING EFFICIENCY BY PROVIDING LOANS THROUGH VARIOUS LOAN FUNDS, TECHNICAL ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE AS WELL AS VOCATIONAL TRAINING, AND SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO UNDERTAKE FISHERIES STUDIES.
LAST YEAR, 136 LOANS TOTALLING $9.8 MILLION WERE ISSUED TO FISHERMEN FOR PRODUCTIVE PURPOSES, SCHOLARSHIPS, GRANTS AND LOANS AMOUNTING $278 000 WERE GIVEN TO 10 STUDENTS UNDERTAKING LOCAL AND OVERSEAS STUDIES AT TERTIARY INSTITUTES IN VARIOUS SUBJECTS RELEVANT TO FISHERIES.
ON VOCATIONAL TRAINING FOR FISHERMEN. DR RIDDELL-SWAN SAID 4 800 FISHERMEN HAD ATTENDED COURSES FOR COXSWAINS, ENGINEERS AND OTHER SPECIAL COURSES IN NAVIGATION, RADIO COMMUNICATION AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT ORGANISED BY THE DEPARTMENT IN THE LAST 33 YEARS.
AT THE CEREMONY, DR RIDDELL-SWAN PRESENTED PRIZES AND CERTIFICATES TO FOUR FISHERMEN WHO HAD SAVED A TOTAL OF 12 LIVES AT SEA.
HE ALSO PRESENTED LONG SERVICE MEDALS TO 19 EMPLOYEES OF THE F.M.O. WHO HAD BEEN WITH THE ORGANISATION FOR 25 YEARS.
MRS RIDDELL-SWAN PRESENTED PRIZES TO 28 FISHERMEN WHO HAD LANDED THE MOST FISH AT THE F.M.O. MARKETS LAST YEAR.
BULLETIN HOLIDAYS
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NO DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN WILL BE ISSUED OVER THE LUNAR NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS FROM WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY (FEBRUARY 20, 21 AND 2).
PUBLICATION WILL RESUME ON SATURDAY (FEBRUARY 23).