XN000022-1997-04-30 — Page 50

29.

Penalties adequate to deter illegal marine fish culture operations

Following is a question by the Hon Emily Lau Wai-hing and an oral reply by the acting Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Patrick Lau, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

In spite of the designation of Yan Chau Tong as a marine park, fishermen have recently illegally set up rafts at nearby waters for fish farming, thus polluting the water quality and upsetting the marine ecology in the area. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

Reply:

(a)

(b)

(c)

Mr President,

(a)

whether the departments concerned will take actions to prohibit the operation of these illegal rafts; if not, why not?

whether the Government will amend the Marine Parks Ordinance and other relevant legislation so as to enable the departments concerned to have the authority to order offenders to cease operation immediately or operate outside the boundary of the marine park on the one hand, and increase the penalties substantially to strengthen the deterrent effect on the other; and

of the impact on the water quality of the above marine park as a result of the pollution generated by the rapidly increasing industrial and economic activities in the area inside the China boundary adjacent to Yan Chau Tong?

The operators of the rafts concerned are licensed by the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries to engage in fish culture but have been operating outside their designated fish culture zone at a location some 600 metres away from Yan Chau Tong Marine Park.

The Director of Agriculture and Fisheries has initiated prosecution of the operators concerned under the Marine Fish Culture Ordinance, under which it is an offence for any person to engage in fish culture within the waters of Hong Kong outside a fish culture zone. The operators have since moved the rafts back to their designated fish culture zone.

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