XN000022-1976-12-25 — Page 4

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1976

THE RESEARCH OFFICER SAID THE EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE VERY HELPFUL BECAUSE IT WOULD ENABLE RESEARCHERS TO ACCURATELY PREDICT AND MAP OUT AREAS WHERE DIFFERENT FISH SPECIES WOULD BE FOUND. AND ALSO THE IR APPROXIMATE QUANTITY IN TERMS OF TONS PER SQUARE NAUTICAL MILE.

DR. WILLIAM CHAN, HEAD OF FISHERIES RESEARCH DIVISION, SAID THE EQUIPMENT HAD NOT YET BEEN USED IN LARGE-SCALE SURVEYS IN OFFSHORE AREAS AS THE PRESENT WEATHER CONDITION IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA WAS ROUGH.

HOWEVER, HE POINTED OUT, PELAGIC SURVEYS USING THE EQUIPMENT WOULD BEGIN IN EARLY SPRING 1977.

+A TEAM OF RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL STAFF WILL BE DEPLOYED ON THIS WORK AND OUR INITIAL TARGET WILL BE ON PELAGIC (MID-WATER) FISHES, DR. CHAN DISCLOSED.

+ THE REASON WHY WE PLAN TO CARRY OUT SUCH A RESEARCH IS TWOFOLD. FIRST, WE HAVE TO ASCERTAIN THE KINDS OF FISH THAT ARE IN SIGNIFICANT QUANTITIES IN THE EXPLORED AREA AND SECONDLY, WE WANT TO KNOW WHETHER SUCH FISH STOCKS CAN BE ECONOMICALLY UTILISED BY THE LOCAL INDUSTRY.

+ IN THE UNTAPPED MID-WATER AREAS, WE FEEL THERE SHOULD BE CERTAIN QUANTITIES OF HAIRTAIL, BLACK POMFRET, VARIOUS GROUPS OF MACKERELS, SCADS, TUNAS, HERRING-LIKE FISHES AND OTHER GROUPS OF PERCOIDS (PERCH-LIKE FISHES).

+ALL, EXCEPT THE HAIRTAIL, BLACK POMFRET AND SPANISH MACKERELS, ARE AT PRESENT VALUED AT THE LOWER END OF THE MARKET COMPARED WITH POPULAR DEMERSAL (BOTTOM DWELLING) FISHES. IT IS ONE OF THE DEPARTMENT'S AIMS TO PROMOTE THE FULLEST UTILISATION OF THE LESS POPULAR FISH SPECIES.+

DR. CHAN ALSO SAID THE LOCAL INDUSTRY HAD BEEN FISHING FOR DEMERSAL FISH ON THE CONTINENTAL SHELF FOR YEARS AND A POINT HAD BEEN REACHED THAT NO FURTHER INCREASE IN THE LEVEL OF EXPLOITATION SHOULD BE DONE ON THE KNOWN FISHING GROUNDS.

ALTHOUGH MID-WATER FISHES ARE ALSO BEING CAUGHT FROM THE SHALLOW PART OF THE CONTINENTAL SHELF, HE CONTINUED, THEY CONTRIBUTED ONLY ABOUT 15 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL ANNUAL LANDINGS.

+ THE EXPANSION OF OUR PELAGIC FISHERY IN THE FUTURE IS ONE SOLUTION TO OUR INCREASING DEMANDS FOR FOOD FISH. ITS SUCCESS WILL HINGE ON OUR ABILITY TO LOCATE AND QUANTIFY NEW RESOURCES FOR COMMERCIAL UTILISATION,+ DR. CHAN SAID.

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