XN000022-1979-06-06 — Page 12

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 1979

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GOVT TO HELP RE-ESTABLISH OYSTERS INDUSTRY

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THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT HAS ALREADY HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE OYSTER INDUSTRY AND MADE ADVICE AND EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE TO HELP RE-ESTABLISH THE INDUSTRY, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WAS TOLD TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. HO KAM-FAI ON THE RECENT MASSIVE KILL OF OYSTERS IN DEEP BAY, THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, THE HON. TED NICHOLS, SAID THE MAJOR LIMITING FACTOR GOVERNING THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INDUSTRY WOULD BE THE RECRUITMENT OF OYSTER SPAT FROM THE WILD.

+THE RECENT HIGH MORTALITY OF MATURE OYSTERS WILL SERIOUSLY AND ADVERSELY AFFECT THAT RECRUITMENT AND I CAN ONLY PREDICT THAT RECOVERY WILL BE A SLOW PROCESS, + MR. NICHOLS SAID.

+THE SITUATION IS EXACERBATED BY THE FACT THAT FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW PRODUCTIVITY IN DEEP BAY HAS BEEN STEADILY DECLINING- AND THUS THE TIME PERIOD TO MORTALITY AND SPAT PRODUCTION HAS BEEN PROLONGED,+ HE SAID.

MR. NICHOLS NOTED THAT THE RECENT MASSIVE KILL OF OYSTERS IN DEEP BAY WAS FIRST REPORTED TO HIS DEPARTMENT ON MAY 16 THIS YEAR AND A SPECIALIST TEAM OF INVESTIGATORS FROM THE DEPARTMENT WAS SENT TO THE AREA THE FOLLOWING DAY.

MR. NICHOLS SAID INVESTIGATIONS AND MONITORING OF THE SITUATION CONTINUED TO DATE, BUT HAD NOT BEEN HELPED BY THE FACT THAT, APPARENTLY, THE FIRST SYMPTOMS OF THE KILL WERE NOTED BY OYSTER GROWERS IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR AND NOT REPORTED.

+ IT IS NOW KNOWN THAT THE EXTENSIVE LOSS OF OYSTERS IS DUE TO A PARASITIC PROTOZOAN. INFESTATION BY SIMILAR PARASITES HAS CAUSED EXTENSIVE OYSTER KILLS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, NOTABLY

IN THE U.S.A., BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE PARASITE HAS BEEN DETECTED IN LOCAL WATERS,+ MR. NICHOLS SAID.

+MORTAL ITIES VARY FROM 90 PER CENT IN THE OUTER BAY AREA TO NOT LESS THAN 50 PER CENT IN THE INNER PART OF THE BAY BETWEEN YUEN LONG CREEK AND THE SHUM CHUN RIVER,+ HE ADDED.

MR. NICHOLS SAID LITTLE WAS KNOWN ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND CONDITIONS WHICH PREDISPOSED OYSTERS TO SUSCEPTIBILITY TO SUCH PARASITIC ATTACK AND EXTENSIVE WORK IN THE UNITED STATES HAD ONLY BEEN ABLE TO ATTRIBUTE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO THE EXPOSURE OF OYSTERS TO +ENVIRONMENTAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESSES.+

+ IT MUST BE NOTED, HOWEVER, THAT AS THIS PARASITE IS NOW PRESENT IN DEEP BAY IT IS LIKELY TO RECUR WHENEVER CONDITIONS ARE FAVOURABLE TO IT, HE SAID.

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