XN000022-1989-07-05 — Page 45

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1989

ACTION TO MINIMISE EFFECTS AT TAI A CHAU

ACTION WILL BE TAKEN AS

FAR AS

POSSIBLE ΤΟ MINIMISE

THE

EFFECTS THAT ACCOMMODATING VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ON TAI A CHAU HAS ON THE LIVELIHOOD OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE.

THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON GEOFFREY BARNES, GAVE THIS ASSURANCE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY), IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON LAM WAI-KEUNG.

MR BARNES SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS AWARE THAT MARICULTURE AT TAI A CHAU HAD BEEN AFFECTED BY THE RECENT INCREASE IN WATER TRAFFIC IN THE AREA.

THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN EXAMINING BOTH THE WATER QUALITY AND ALSO THE FISH BEING CULTURED IN THE TAI A CHAU FISH CULTURE ZONE.

"PRELIMINARY RESULTS SHOW THE OCCASIONAL PRESENCE OF OIL SLICKS ON THE SURFACE AND AN INCREASED TURBIDITY OF WATER CAUSED BY INCREASED MARINE TRAFFIC IN THE VICINITY OF THE ZONE.

"FISH REARED IN CAPTIVITY WERE FOUND TO SHOW SIGNS OF ABNORMAL STRESS SUCH AS A HIGH INCIDENCE OF INFECTION CAUSED BY EXTERNAL PARASITES. HE SAID.

I

MR BARNES SAID

THE HONG KONG FISHERMEN'S ASSOCIATION HAD WRITTEN TO THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES ON THE LOSS OF FISH AT THE TAI A CHAU FISH CULTURE ZONE AND THE DEPARTMENT WA9 INVESTIGATING THEIR COMPLAINTS.

"ON COMPLETION OF THESE INVESTIGATIONS, ACTION WILL BE TAKEN TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION AND TO RESOLVE THE DIFFICULTIES FACED BY THE FISHERMEN, HE SAID.

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MR BARNES EXPLAINED THAT VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE WERE HELD ON TAI A CHAU SOLELY BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUS ACCOMMODATION CRISIS CAUSED BY THE MASSIVE INFLUX OF BOAT PEOPLE INTO HONG KONG THIS SUMMER.

"THE SITUATION AT TAI A CHAU IS FAR FROM ALTERNATIVES ARE BEING CONSIDERED.

IDEAL AND

"ALTHOUGH OVER 4,000 BOAT PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEEN MOVED FROM THE ISLAND, AND THERE ARE PLANS TO MOVE ANOTHER 2-3,000 IN THE NEAR FUTURE, THE CONTINUING INFLUX FROM VIETNAM UNFORTUNATELY MAKES IT LIKELY THAT THE ISLAND WILL HAVE ΤΤΟ CONTINUE TO BE USED IN THE FORSEEABLE FUTURE," HE SAID.

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