XN000022-1982-08-26 — Page 3

THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 1982

HONG KONG'S FISH CONSUMPTION RATES AMONG WORLD'S HIGHEST

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THE PROVISION OF ADEQUATE SUPPLIES OF FISHERIES PRODUCTS DEPENDS ON BOTH THE RESOURCE AND THE FLEET, THE FISHERIES OFFICER OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, MR PETER GAIGER, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

THE HONG KONG FISHING FLEET, COMPRISING ABOUT 4 700 VESSELS, IS IN A CONTINUOUS STATE OF DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, MR GAIGER ADDED.

*THE OVERALL TREND HAS BEEN FOR AN INCREASE IN MECHANISATION AND A REDUCTION IN THE OVERALL SIZE OF THE FLEET, HE SAID IN A SPEECH TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON.

ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE GENERAL OPERATING EFFICIENCY INCLUDE FISHING GEAR TECHNOLOGY INVESTIGATIONS, PRIMARILY FOR TRAWLING- HULL DESIGN AND PROPULSION SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT ◄ FISHERMEN'S RADIO NETWORKS AND DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ON NAVIGATIONAL ELECTRONICS.

+ENCOURAGEMENT IS PROVIDED THROUGH LOW-INTEREST LOANS FROM THE LOAN FUNDS ADMINISTERED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT AND TECHNICAL BACKUP, HE SAID.

VESSELS WITH FUEL-EFFICIENT MEASURES ARE ALSO BEING BUILT WITH GOVERNMENT FINANCE, MR GAIGER ADDED.

HE BEPORTER. THAT LAST YEAR HONG KONG'S AVERAGE CONSUMPTION

OF FISHERIES PRODUCTS WAS 37 KILOGRAMS PĒR PERSON.

+THIS IS A SLIGHT DECREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR BUT STILL ONE OF THE HIGHEST PER CAPITA CONSUMPTIONS IN THE WORLD,+ HE NOTED.

CATCHES BY THE FISHING FLEET ACCOUNT FOR 96 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL FISHERIES OUTPUT IN HONG KONG.

MR GAIGER SAID THERE WAS GROWING EVIDENCE THAT THE MAJOR RESOURCE WAS BECOMING OVER-EXPLOITED.

+DEVELOPMENTS TO CONTROL THE EXTENT OF FISHING GROUNDS ALSO RESTRICT RESOURCE AVAILABILITY, HE SAID.

+OUR MAIN SOURCE OF FISH IS THE MIXED DEMERSAL, OR BOTTOM- SWIMMING, FISH STOCKS OF THE NORTHERN SHELF IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, AND TO A LESSER EXTENT THE EAST CHINA SEA,+

THE ABUNDANCE OF STOCKS OF PELAGIC FISH WHICH ARE POSSIBLY UNDER-EXPLOITED OR UNEXPLOITED IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED TO ESTABLISH WHETHER THEY WILL BE CAPABLE OF SUSTAINING A LONG-TERM, COMMERCIALLY VIABLE FISHERY, MR GAIGER SAID.

+LITTLE IS KNOWN OF THEIR COMPOSITION, ABUNDANCE, MIGRATION, PATTERNS OR OTHER BIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS, BUT THESE ARE UNDER INVESTIGATION, HE ADDED.

MR GAIGER SAID THE STRATEGY WAS TO DEPLOY THE DEPARTMENT'S FISHERIES RESEARCH VESSEL, +TAI SHUN+, ON AN EXPLORATORY PROGRAMME TO LOCATE AND QUANTIFY SUCH STOCKS.

74THE CHALLENGE