XN000022-1976-12-16 — Page 6

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1976

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MORE ROOM TO INCREASE FISH PRODUCTION

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THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, MR. E.H. NICHOLS, THIS (THURSDAY) EVENING PRAISED THE NEW TERRITORIES FISH FARMERS FOR INCREASING THE LEVEL OF PRODUCTION AND SAID THERE IS STILL ROOM FOR A CONSIDERABLE INCREASE IN PRODUCTIVITY, +

SPEAKING AT THE 11TH TERM INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF THE HONG KONG NEW TERRITORIES FISH CULTURE ASSOCIATION AND THE OPENING OF THE ASSOCIATION'S NEW PREMISES IN YUEN LONG, HE SAID, HOWEVER, THAT A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS MUST BE SOLVED SO THAT THE FISH FARMERS COULD INCREASE THE IR PRODUCTION.

HE SAID WAYS AND MEANS OF REDUCING THE LOSSES DUE TO THE FLOODING ASSOCIATED WITH HEAVY RAINFALL PRODUCED BY TYPHOONS MUST BE FOUND- MORE INTENSIVE FORMS OF CULTURE MUST BE PRACTISED AND FASTER GROWING FISH SPECIES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED.

ALSO, MR. NICHOLS CONTINUED, GREATER ATTENTION SHOULD BE PAID TO NUTRIENT CONTENT OF FEEDS AND TO FEEDING PRACTICES WATER QUALITY MUST BE IMPROVED AND GREATER ATTENTION MUST BE PAID TO TIME OF HARVESTING.

+MY DEPARTMENT IS GIVING CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION TO THOSE MATTERS WHICH AIM, BASICALLY, AT INTENSIFYING THE TRADITIONAL FISH FARMING SYSTÉM,+ HE SAID.

+ THE ONUS OF DEVELOPMENT RESPONSIBILITY, HOWEVER, RESTS WITH YOU, THE PRACTISING FISH FARMERS SINCE NOW IT IS ONLY BY INTÉNS IFY ING THE SYSTEMS USED THAT THE EXCELLENT PROGRESS ACHIEVED IN THE PAST WILL BE CONTINUED IN THE FUTURE, HE ADDED.

MR. NICHOLS POINTED OUT THAT THE NUMBER OF FISH FARMERS HAD GROWN DRAMATICALLY FROM 30 IN 1955 TO 361 THIS YEAR.

HE ALSO NOTED THAT IN 1970 THERE WERE SOME 2,250 ACRES OF FISH PONDS PRODUCING OVER 35,000 PICULS OF FISH. FIVE YEARS LATER, THE ACREAGE HAD INCREASED BY ABOUT 57 PER CENT TO ABOUT 3,550 ACRES AND PRODUCTION HAD INCREASED BY A STARTLING 110 PER CENT TO JUST UNDER 74,000 PICULS.

THIS, HE EMPHASISED, REPRESENTED AN INCREASE IN PRODUCTIVITY FROM 16 PİCULS PER ACRE TO ALMOST 21 PICULS PER ACRE.

HOWEVER, MR. NICHOLS WENT ON, THE SPACE WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY THE AREA UTILISED FOR FISH PONDS.

+ANY INCREASE IN PRODUCTION MUST, THEREFORE, ARISE FROM FURTHER INCREASE IN THE LEVEL OF PRODUCTIVITY, HE ADDED.

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