XN000022-1993-01-21 — Page 10

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21,

1993

9

FISHERMEN HONOURED FOR BRAVERY

THREE LOCAL FISHERMEN WHO HAD RESCUED LIVES IN TWO SEPARATE SEA ACCIDENTS LATE LAST YEAR WERE HONOURED BY THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, DR LAWRENCE LEE, THIS (THURSDAY) MORNING.

TWO OF THEM, MR CHAN LIN-YAU (53) AND MR MA TAM-KWAI (55), RISKED THEIR LIVES TO RESCUE FOUR PEOPLE ON BOARD A FISHING BOAT IN DISTRESS ON NOVEMBER 27 LAST YEAR.

OFF

AT 7 AM THAT DAY, THE TWO SPOTTED A SINKING FISHING BOAT PO TOI 0, SAI KUNG. THEY INSTANTLY DASHED OFF FROM THE SHORE IN TWO MOTORISED SAMPANS TO HELP.

THEY MANAGED TO RESCUE FOUR PEOPLE WITHIN 10 MINUTES FROM THEIR JUNK BEFORE IT SANK.

49-YEAR-OLD

AROUND 6.30 AM ONE DAY EARLIER, ANOTHER FISHERMAN, MR LEUNG SHU-HUNG, WHEN RETURNING TO HONG KONG TO UNLOAD HIS CATCH AFTER FISHING AT THE LADRONE ISLANDS, SAW FIVE MEN ABOARD A STRANDED SAMPAN NEAR MAN MEI CHAU IN CHINESE WATERS.

HE HELPED THEM BOARD HIS SHRIMP TRAWLER.

HE ALSO PICKED UP NINE OTHER CREW MEMBERS WHO HAD EARLIER SWAM TO A NEARBY ISLAND.

AT THE FISH MARKETING ORGANISATION'S (FMO) ANNUAL PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONY, DR LEE PRESENTED THESE FISHERMEN WITH SILVER COMMENDED THEM FOR THEIR BRAVERY ACTS.

SHIELDS AND

REVIEWING THE WORK OF F'MO IN 1992, DR LEE SAID IT HAD CONTINUED ITS CLOSE CO-OPERATION WITH THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT IN LOCATING NEW FISHING GROUNDS OUTSIDE HONG KONG.

SUCCESSFUL CONTACTS WERE MADE WITH THE VIETNAM AND PHILIPPINES AUTHORITIES TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON LICENSED FISHING IN THEIR WATERS.

THE FMO ALSO ORGANISED A DELEGATION ΤΟ SINGAPORE AND NORTHEAST AUSTRALIA IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR ΤΟ STUDY THESE COUNTRIES' MODERN FISHING, PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY AND MARKETING SYSTEMS.

IN 1992, FMO SIMPLIFIED THE SALE PROCEDURES AT ITS MARKETS SO AS TO UPGRADE ITS WHOLESALING SERVICES AND ENLARGE THE SALES NETWORK, HE SAID.

DR LEE SAID THE ORGANISATION MAINTAINED ITS CO-OPERATION WITH THE POLICE ΤΟ STAMP OUT ILLEGAL FISH-WHOLESALING ACTIVITIES. 58 PROSECUTIONS WERE SUCCESSFULLY BROUGHT AGAINST THE OFFENDERS IN 1992.

HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE FMO ALSO EXTENDED $14 MILLION LOANS TO FISHERMEN LAST YEAR TO HELP THEM ENHANCE THEIR EFFICIENCY AND OTHER

FACILITIES.

RELEVANT TRAINING

Page 10Page 11