XN000022-1983-05-09 — Page 6

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MONDAY, MAY 9, 1983

IT ALSO PROVIDES FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE INDUSTRY BY PROHIBITING WATER POLLUTION AND INTERFERENCE WITH THE CULTURE RAFTS AND THE FISH, HE ADDED.

MR CHEUNG SAID IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ORDINANCE STARTED IN MA WAN WHERE 66 PRACTISING CULTURISTS APPLIED FOR AND WERE ALLOCATED SITES.

THE RELOCATION EXERCISE WAS SATISFACTORILY COMPLETED IN LATE APRIL AND THE NEXT TARGET ZONE IS TIN HA WAN IN JUNK BAY.

HE SAID, THERE ARE SOME FISH CULTURISTS WHO HAVE DECIDED TO WIND UP THEIR OPERATIONS, AND OTHERS WHO WOULD WISH TO CONTINUE, BUT FAILED TO OBTAIN A CULTURE SITE. THEY WILL HAVE TO BE CLEARED IN DUE COURSE.+

IT WOULD BE INEVITABLE, DURING THE COURSE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION, THAT THERE WOULD BE FISH CULTURE RAFTS WHICH WERE EITHER ABANDONED OR ON WHICH AN OFFENCE HAD BEEN COMMITTED AND HAD THEREFORE TO BE SEIZED, MR CHEUNG SAID.

+MOST OF THESE ITEMS ARE SO HUGE, AND THE FISH THAT MAY BE FOUND THERE ARE SO DELICATE, THAT THERE ARE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES IN THEIR STORAGE AND SAFE-KEEPING.

+THE LAW PROVIDES FOR THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES TO SELL THESE AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE AND IF POSSIBLE TO REIMBURSE THE OWNER OF THE EQUIPMENT THE BALANCE OF THE PROCEEDS OF SALE AFTER DEDUCTING ANY EXPENSES THE DIRECTOR MAY HAVE INCURRED IN THE SEIZURE AND SALE, HE SAID.

CONSIDERATION HAD ALSO BEEN GIVEN TO THE PRESENCE OF DWELLING STRUCTURES ON FUSH CULTURE RAFTS AND TO THE FACT THAT SOME OF THE OPERATORS WOULD BECOME HOMELESS WHEN THE RAFTS WERE CLEARED, MR CHEUNG ADDED.

+ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE WITH THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING TO PROVIDE ACCOMMODATION FOR THOSE WHO OPT TO TERMINATE THEIR OPERATIONS BUT HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION, AND ARE OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE FOR PUBLIC HOUSING. THEY WILL ALSO RECEIVE A DOMESTIC REMOVAL ALLOWANCE TO FURNISH THEIR NEW HOMES.

+ IN ORDER TO EASE THE HARDSHIP OF THE CULTURE OPERATORS IN BOTH RELOCATING THEIR EQUIPMENT AND EXTINGUISHING THE BUSINESS, A MEASURE OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE FROM THE GOVERNMENT IN THE FORM OF EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCES, + HE SAID.

MR CHEUNG SAID STAFF OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT WOULD BE APPROACHING MARICULTURISTS IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS TO HELP THEM SELECT A FISH SITE IN THE ORDER FIXED BY THE BALLOT HELD IN APRIL AND THEN TO ARRANGE FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE RAFTS TO THE SITE, THE PAYMENT OF THE EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCES AND WITH THE LICENSING PROCEDURES.

LESS.

THE LICENCE FEE IS $150 FOR A SITE OF 100 SQUARE METRES OR

/THE STAFF