XN000022-1981-02-27 — Page 8

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1981

TREMENDOUS GROWTH IN FISH CULTURE INDUSTRY

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TREMENDOUS GROWTH WAS RECORDED IN THE FISH CULTURE INDUSTRY IN HONG KONG OVER THE PAST 26 YEARS, THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, MR JOHN RIDDELL-SWAN ́SAID THIS (FRIDAY) EVENING.

MR RIDDELL-SWAN SAID THE AREA OF FISH PONDS HAD INCREASED FROM 200 HECTARES IN 1955 TO ABOUT 1 820 HECTARES LAST YEAR, DURING THE SAME PERIOD, ANNUAL PRODUCTION OF CULTURED FISH ROSE FROM 500 TONNES TO 7 OOO TONNES.

+LOCAL POND FISH PRODUCTION HAS NOW AN ANNUAL VALUE OF SOME $97 MILLION,+ HE SAID.

MR RIDDELL-SWAN WAS ADDRESSING A GATHERING AT THE 13TH TERM INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF THE HONG KONG NEW TERRITORIES FISH CULTURE ASSOCIATION IN A YUEN LONG RESTAURANT.

+THIS ACHIEVEMENT IS ATTRIBUTABLE MAINLY TO THE HARD WORK AND EXPERTISE OF THE FISH FARMERS THEMSELVES, BUT HAND IN HAND WITH THE INDUSTRY, THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO CONTRIBUTED BY PROMOTING IMPROVED CULTURE TECHNOLOGY, BY PROVIDING EFFICIENT ADVISORY SERVICES AND BY ARRANGING DEVELOPMENT CAPITAL AT LOW INTEREST RATES, HE SAID.

TURNING TO THE ASSOCIATION, MR RIDDELL-SWAN SAID IT NOW HAD A MEMBERSHIP OF SOME 430, COMPARED WITH A MEMBERSHIP OF 30 WHEN IT WAS FORMED IN 1955.

*THE ASSOCIATION HAS PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LOCAL POND FISH CULTURE INDUSTRY, AND HAS SERVED AS A VALUABLE LINK BETWEEN THE INDUSTRY AND THE GOVERNMENT, ESPECIALLY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, HE ADDED.

THE GREATEST CHALLENGE TO THE INDUSTRY IN THE YEARS AHEAD WAS THE CONTINUING LOSS OF LAND SUITABLE FOR FISH CULTURE DUE TO

INCREASED DEMAND FOR DEVELOPMENT, HE SAID,

MR RIDDELL-SWAN SAID TO COMPENSATE FOR THIS, FARMERS WILL NEED TO ADOPT NEW TECHNIQUES TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY.

+THESE INCLUDE THE USE OF IMPROVED CULTURE EQUIPMENT SUCH AS AERATORS AND FEEDERS, MORE INTENSIVE METHODS OF FARMING, BETTER FEEDSTUFFS, AND EFFECTIVE CONTROL OF FISH DISEASE AND FISH MORTALITY.+

GREAT ATTENTION WOULD ALSO HAVE TO BE PAID TO POST-HARVEST HANDLING AND MARKETING.

THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT WAS GIVING CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION TO ALL OF THESE MATTERS AND HAD BEEN CONDUCTING EXPERIMENTAL WORK FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE INDUSTRY, HE SAID.

+DESPITE THE CHALLENGE POSED BY THE SHORTAGE OF LAND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF POND FISH CULTURE, I AM CONFIDENT THAT WITH THE CONTINUING HARD WORK OF THE POND FISH FARMERS, COUPLED WITH THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING PROVIDED BY MY DEPARTMENT, YOUR INDUSTRY WILL HAVE A VERY SUCCESSFUL FUTURE, MR RIDDELL-SWAN SAID.

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