ENG-1950 — Page 51

Fresh Fish

Quantity

Wholesale Value

1946

1,904.05 tons

$ 3,120,457

1947

2,643.79

$ 3,355,513

""

1948

7,251.07

1949 10,822.38

$ 8,651,356 $17,689,028

1950 16,425.48

$24,414,750

Salt/Dried Fish

Quantity

1946

12,592.79 tons

1947 11,266.19

"

1948 14,664.76

1949 1950

16,108.63

"

16,304.28

"

Wholesale Value

$18,476,431

$11,166,576

$11,941,515

$18,740,370

$13,873,411

Fish Marketing Organization

The wholesale marketing of all fish except pond and shell fish is controlled, the fish being auctioned at Government-organized wholesale markets. These markets are situated at Kennedy Town, Shaukiwan and Aberdeen on Hong Kong Island, at Yaumati in the Kowloon area, and at Taipo in the New Territories. Fish sold at Aberdeen is used largely for making sauce.

Fishermen deliver their catch to collecting depots situated in the various fishing villages whence it is conveyed to the markets in the Marketing Organization's launches, a charge of 6% of the wholesale price being made to cover handling and marketing costs.

The Marketing Organization provides facilities for the borrowing of money by fishermen at reasonable rates of interest. Most of the loans are short-term loans for the repair of gear and boats, but a few loans of larger amounts have been given for mechanization of craft.

At the collecting depots fishermen's requisites are sold at wholesale prices. The depots also act as distributors of rationed rice to fishermen and provide centres where the various problems confronting the fishing community may be discussed.

The Organization subsidizes schools which have been established for fishermen's children and also awards scholarships to recognized schools.

The whole Organization has been planned so that it may eventually be taken over by fishermen and run as a cooperative undertaking.

Fish Fry

A considerable amount of fish fry used for stocking fish-ponds is exported each year by air to Malaya, Thailand and, to a lesser extent, Formosa. In 1950 880,090 fish fry valued at $64,115 were exported. The fry are brought to Hong Kong by boat chiefly from the West River region of Kwangtung; they are placed in hermetically sealed 4-gallon petrol tins which are filled 3/5 with well water and 2/5 with oxygen.

Consignments generally consist of 10 to 20 tins each containing 500 to 1,000 fry according to size, which ranges from 1" during summer and autumn to 2" in winter and spring.

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