XN000022-1992-12-08 — Page 11

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1992

10

ROOM FOR NURTURING PRIMARY RESOURCE INDUSTRIES

* *

KONG,

THE

WITH THE CURRENT ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN HONG THERE IS STILL ROOM TO NURTURE LOCAL PRIMARY RESOURCE INDUSTRIES, VIABILITY OF WHICH DEPENDS ON MAINTAINING AN OFTEN FRAGILE ENVIRONMENTAL BALANCE.

SERVICES,

THIS WAS STATED BY THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC MRS E M BOSHER, WHEN ADDRESSING THE OPENING OF THE FOURTH GOVERNING COUNCIL MEETING OF THE NETWORK OF AQUACULTURE CENTRES IN ASIA (NACA) THIS (TUESDAY) MORNING.

ON ONE OF THE TERRITORY'S

PRIMARY RESOURCE

PACIFIC

INDUSTRIES

PARTICULARLY THE AQUATIC

AQUACULTURE, MRS BOSHER POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS VULNERABLE TO THE POTENTIALLY ADVERSE EFFECTS ON ENVIRONMENT OF THE MANY FORMS OF WATER POLLUTION THAT SO OFTEN WENT WITH RAPID DEVELOPMENT.

THE

THAT

"WE IN HONG KONG ARE TRYING TO ENSURE AS FAR AS POSSIBLE MASSIVE INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT IS ACHIEVED WITH THE MINIMUM

POSSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.

"WE HAVE PASSED LEGISLATION UNDER WHICH WE ARE ABLE WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES ACCORDING TO THE USE TO WHICH WATER IS SHE SAID.

ΤΟ SET

PUT,

11

MRS BOSHER BELIEVED THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO CONTROL POLLUT LON IN LOCAL WATERS AND TO MANAGE THE IMPACTS OF CURRENT DEVELOPMENT WFRE CRUCTAL TO MAINTAINING A THRIVING AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY IN HONG KONG.

SHE WAS ALSO PLEASED TO NOTE THAT SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MARICULTURE ZONES IN 1982, IN CAREFULLY SELECTED AREAS, PRODUCTION HAD INCREASED MORE THAN THREE-FOLD FROM LESS THAN 1,200 TONNES ΤΟ SOME 4,000 TONNES LAST YEAR.

ON THE TERRITORY'S FRESHWATER POND FISH INDUSTRY, MRS BOSHER THERE WAS SAID

A PRODUCTION AREA OF 1,350 HECTARES IN THE NORTH WESTERN NEW TERRITORIES AND THE CENTRE OF THIS AREA WAS THE INTERNATIONALLY

MAI PO MARSHES NATURE RESERVE, RICH IN MANGROVE COMMUNITIES AND A VITAL FEEDING STATION FOR MIGRATORY BIRDS IN THE REGION.

RENOWNED

SHE SAID WITHIN THE RESERVE, TRADITIONAL AQUACULTURE PRACTICE OF USING TAMBAKS' KNOWN LOCALLY AS 'GAE WAIS' WERE ENCOURAGED TO ACT AS A BUFFER TO PROTECT THE RESERVE FROM URBAN ENCROACHMENT.

"THE PLANNING STRATEGY FOR THE AREA, IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WAY TO FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN PRESSURES

URBAN FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, THE NEEDS OF THE LOCAL ECONOMY ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

THE

AND

AND

/TURNING TO