3.1
This fishermen had their best activities in 1943-44. Since the autumn of 1944 the price of rice suddenly soared whilst that of the fish remained unchanged or even dropped. Most of the bigger and some of the small junks could not carry on fishing and became smugglers. From the beginning of 1945 when aeroplanes and submarines of the Allies strictly blockaded Hong Kong, practically all big and midale-sized junks had to stop their activities. The small junks whose fishing ground were confined to the harbour were able to continue but not without restrictions and fear.
TABLE OF TOT›L CATCHES IN 1943, 1944 and 1945
Year
Salt Fish
Fresh Fish
Total quantity.
1943
56,739 piculs
1944
101,000
Jari.-
June
1945
80,000
62,870 piculs 84,569 25,000
119,609 piculs 185,569
105,000
As the above table shows, in spite of the aeroplane blockade there were more fish caught and sold in the market in 1945 (only statistics from January to June available) than in the previous years. This is due to the special abundance of the small surface fish called anchovy this year in the inshore territorial waters. About 60% of 105,000 piculs are anchovies.
It is estimated that about 70% of the total catch went to military use.
Unfortunately all prewar data are lost: there is a possibility of finding these in the University library.
A Plan of Fisheries Administration.
The laan system of the pre-war days should be abolished because it hinders future development of fisher es (see Journal Hong Kong Fisheries Research Station, Vol. 1 No. 2). It is
i possible to organize the old launs into such a fo m of institution which will function well both in supplying accurate statistics for research work and in helping the fishermen. The wholesale market auction system under government control should be the best substitute for the laɑns. Keeping this main idea in mind I venture to propose the following scheme:
1. Department of Fisheries and Agriculture.
a. Superintendent of Agriculture and Forestry. b. Superintendent of Fisheries.
1. The Fisheries Research Station the plan of
this had, before the war, been planned submitted and passed by the Hong Kong Government 2, wholesale Fish Market this should be similar
in the main to that which the Japanese had adopted with some modification. The number of bidders should be unlimited.
3. Fishermen's co-operative society - The district
syndicates could be changed easily into a Fishermen's Co-operative Society.
4. Ice making and cold storage to stabilize
fish prices.
5. Fish Curing Station to serve the same end.
Immediately after the change over of government the Japanese system can be kept going without difficulty.
S.Y Lin, Superintendent of Fisheries Research.
Except for minor alterations in diom this report is as Mr. Lin gave it to me at the end of August 1945. The scheme that has been adopted has incorporated a number of Mr. Lin's suggestions.
laltek 46
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