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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1987
BEFORE THE REVISION, THE ORIGINAL RATE WAS $8 PER SQUARE METRE AND THE MINIMUM STOCK DENSITY WAS 350 OYSTER CULTCHES PER 100 SQUARE METRES. WHICH WOULD HAVE REQUIRED A CLAIMANT TO HAVE AN OYSTER BED FIVE TIMES DENSER THAN THE PRESENT REVISED ONE BEFORE HE WOULD BE FLIGIBLE FOR EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCES.
THE BOARD HAS FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT THE AMOUNT OF EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCES DUE TO INDIVIDUAL CLAIMANTS IS OBTAINED BY MULTIPLYING THE UNIT RATE OF $9.4 PER SQUARE METRE BY THE AREA OF OYSTER BEDS UNDER ACTIVE CULTIVATION BASING ON THE COMBINED RESULTS OF THE TWO SIDE SCAN SONAR SURVEYS CONDUCTED IN JANUARY 1986 AND JULY 1987, AND THE OYSTER BED DEMARCATION PLAN PRODUCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OYSTER BED DEMARCATION SURVEY CARRIED OUT IN LATE APRIL AND EARLY MAY THIS YEAR.
THE BOARD HAD ADVISED THAT THE OYSTER FARMERS CAN APPROACH THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT LANDS OFFICE FOR INFORMATION SUCH AS THE AREA OF INDIVIDUAL OYSTER BEDS AS IDENTIFIED IN THE DEMARCATION SURVEY AND EVIDENCE OF ACTIVE CULTIVATION AS REVEALED
IN TWO SIDE SCAN SONAR SURVEYS.
HOWEVER, THE BOARD DID NOT SUPPORT A REQUEST FROM OYSTER FARMERS FOR CALCULATING THE EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCE ACCORDING TO THE AREA OF OYSTER BEDS CLAIMED IN THE DEMARCATION SURVEY REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY ARE BEING ACTIVELY CULTIVATED,
POLICY PRESCRIBED BY THE THE SPOKESMAN
"THIS WOULD VIOLATE THE EXISTING FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, EXPLAINED.
REGARDING THE MANY OVERLAPPING CLAIMS, THE BOARD HAS SUGGESTED THAT THE O1STER ASSOCIATIONS SHOULD ASSIST IN ENCOURAGING THE OYSTER FARMERS TO NEGOTIATE WITH EACH OTHER AND TRY TO REACH PRIVATE AGREEMENTS.
OYSTER FARMERS SHOULD NOTE THAT NO EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCE WILL BE PAID OUT UNTIL AND UNLESS THE OVERLAPPING CLAIMS ARE RESOLVED.
SO FAR, OF THE MANY OVERLAPPING CLAIMS, OVER 100 PRIVATE AGREEMENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SUCCESSFULLY REACHED.
THE LAND FORMATION CONTRACT WILL
BE AWARDED IN LATE-OCTOBER 1987 AND WORK WILL LAST FOR ABOUT THREE-AND-A-HALF YEARS.
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