+
8
THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1990
"FOLLOWING THE STRICT BAN ON FISH BUYERS FROM ENTERING THE SORTING FLOOR AT THE CHEUNG SHA WAN FISH MARKET TN 1988, SIMILAR SCHEMES WERE INTRODUCED ONE AFTER THE OTHER AT THE ABERDEEN, SHAU KEI WAN AND TAI PO FISH MARKETS LAST YEAR, DR LEE NOTED.
**
"THESE MEASURES PROVE TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING MARKET ORDER AND WERE WELCOMED BY THE FISHERMEN AND TRADERS.
AS TRADING OF FRESH FISH WAS CONDUCTED UNDER UNBIASED CONDITIONS, BETTER SELLING PRICES WERE FETCHED AND AS A
WERE THE ONES ΤΟ BENEFIT," HE CONTINUED.
RESULT
FISHERMEN
HE SAID A SIMILAR SCHEME FOR THE CASTLE PEAK FISH MARKET WAS SCHEDULED TO BE IMPLEMENTED AFTER THE LUNAR NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS.
A TOTAL OF 74,000 TONNES OF FISH VALUED AT $610 MILLION WERE SOLD THROUGH FMO FISH MARKETS LAST YEAR.
"OTHER THAN MARKETING SERVICES, THE FMO ALSO PROVIDES LOCAL FISHERMEN WITH LOW-INTEREST LOANS AND EDUCATION SUBSIDIES," DR LEE SAID.
IN 1989, LOANS AMOUNTING TO $8.64 MILLION WERE GRANTED TO MEET FISHERMEN'S OPERATIONAL NEEDS. FROM THE MARINE FISH SCHOLARSHIP FUND, SCHOLARSHIPS, GRANTS AND LOANS AMOUNTING TO $247,000 IN TOTAL WERE AWARDED TO FISHERMEN'S CHILDREN AND STUDENTS.
THE FMO ALSO ORGANISED A STUDY TOUR ΤΟ EUROPE FOR LOCAL FISHERMEN LAST YEAR.
VISITS PAID TO VARIOUS EUROPEAN HARBOURS, PISH MARKETS AND MARINE EXHIBITIONS DURING THE TRIP HAD BROADENED THE HORIZON OF LOCAL FISHERMEN AND THE EXPERIENCE THEY GAINED WOULD BENEFIT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LOCAL FISHERIES INDUSTRY, DR LEE CONTINUED.
TURNING TO AFD'S EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY OF LOCAL FISHERMEN, DR LEE NOTED THAT THE DEPARTMENT CONTINUED TO RUN
AS VOCATIONAL TRAINING CLASSES FOR COXSWAINS AND ENGINEERS,
AS WELL NAVIGATION AND MARINE ELECTRONICS COURSES IN 1989.
WITH THE ASSISTANCE OP THE MARINE DEPARTMENT, THE AFD CONDUCTED A NEW, 10-WEEK SEA-FISHING COXSWAIN ENDORSEMENT COURSE BETWEEN SEPTEMBER AND NOVEMBER LAST YEAR.
SKILLS
"THE PURPOSE OF THE COURSE IS TO ENHANCE THE NAVIGATION AND KNOWLEDGE OF FISHERMEN, TO COPE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF DISTANT FISHING BY THE LOCAL FISHING FLEET AND TO CATER FOR THE FUTURE NEEDS OF STELL HULL VESSELS, DR LEE EXPLAINED.
**
THE FIRST BATCH OF SEVEN ENDORSEMENT COURSE RECEIVED
AT TODAY'S PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONY, GRADUATES OF THE SEA-FISHING COXSWAIN THEIR CERTIFICATES FROM THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF MARINE, MR TIM FRAWLEY.
THESE GRADUATES HAD PASSED AN EXAMINATION ON COMPLETION OF THE COURSE AND TWO OF THEM WERE ALREADY WORKING ON STEEL HULL VESSELS.
/MEANWHILE, SIX