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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1987
DEEP BAY MARINE BORROW WORK COMMENCES IN NOVEMBER
OYSTER FARMERS IN LAU FAU SHAN HAVING OYSTER BEDS WITHIN THE MARINE TRANSPORTATION ROUTE IN DEEP BAY ARE ADVISED TO REMOVE THEIR OYSTERS BEFORE THE END OF OCTOBER 1987, A SPOKESMAN OF YUEN LONG DISTRICT OFFICE SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).
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THE MARINE TRANSPORTATION ROUTE, 4.2 KILOMETRES IN LENGTH, WILL BE REQUIRED FROM NOVEMBER
1987 ΤΟ FACILITATE MARINE FILL DREDGING WORK IN OUTER DEEP BAY TO COMMENCE. IT WILL BE USED AS AN ACCESS CHANNEL TO TRANSPORT 12 MILLION CUBIC METRES OF DREDGED MARINE FILL FROM THE DEEP BAY MARINE BORROW AREA TO FILL UP THE EXISTING FISH PONDS AT TIN SHUI WAI IN CONNECTION WITH TIN SHUI WAI NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT.
"THE WORKS WILL COMMENCE ON NOVEMBER 2, 1987 AND WILL BE CARRIED OUT ACCORDING TO A VERY TIGHT SCHEDULE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
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ELIGIBLE OYSTER FARMERS ARE ALSO REMINDED TO COLLECT THEIR EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCE PAYMENT FROM THE DISTRICT LANDS OFFICE, YUEN LONG, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. UP TO YESTERDAY (THURSDAY), 25 ELIGIBLE OYSTER FARMERS HAVE ALREADY COLLECTED THEIR PAYMENTS, RANGING FROM A FEW HUNDRED TO SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
A REVIEW BOARD HAS BEEN SET UP TO CONSIDER APPEALS FROM THE OYSTER FARMERS DISSATISFIED WITH THE AMOUNT OF EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCES OFFERED TO THEM BY THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT LANDS OFFICE ARISING FROM THIS MARINE CLEARANCE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
PURPOSE OF CONSIDERING
THE BOARD IS TASKED WITH THE SPECIFIC THE APPEALS FROM THE OYSTER FARMERS IN AN OBJECTIVE AND IMPARTIAL MANNER. IT IS CHAIRED BY THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT OFFICER AND MEMBERS INCLUDE SENIOR OFFICERS FROM VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED.
SO FAR, APPEALS FROM TWO GROUPS OF OYSTER FARMERS AND SEVERAL INDIVIDUAL ONES HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.
THE BOARD HAS HELD TWO MEETINGS TO CONSIDER APPEALS FROM BOTH THE OYSTER ASSOCIATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS. THE BOARD HAS NOTED AND EXAMINED IN DETAIL EACH REQUEST AND REPLY LETTERS HAVE BEEN SENT OUT INFORMING THEM OF ITS VIEWS.
IN THE REPLY, THE BOARD HAS EXPLAINED THAT UNDER EXISTING POLICY, ONLY ACTIVELY CULTIVATED OYSTER BEDS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCE AT A RATE OF $9.4 PER SQUARE METRE. "ACTIVELY CULTIVATED OYSTER BEDS" ARE DEFINED AS OYSTER BEDS HAVING A STOCK DENSITY OF NOT LESS THAN 70 OYSTER CULTCHES PER 100 SQUARE METRES.
BOTH THE RATE OF EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCE AND THE MINIMUM STOCK DENSITY WHICH HAVE BEEN REVISED EARLIER THIS YEAR ARE ASSESSED PROFESSIONALLY AND APPROVED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
/BEFORE THE