ENG-1967 — Page 330

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Riches from the Ocean

Fish form an essential part of Hong Kong's diet. On average the Colony's population eats about 200 tons a day, cooked in an incredible variety of ways. The Chinese like to buy their fish fresh and at many restaurants customers choose their meal, live, from a tank. It is fortunate that the sub-tropical waters around Hong Kong are rich in commercial fish. More than 400 species are landed regularly in the Colony and hundreds of other species are netted which have no commercial value.

Generally, fish sells for about $1 to $2 a catty but some species, like the highly-priced green wrasse, fetch up to $10 a catty. The most popular choice for the table is the garoupa and there are more than 20 different species of it in Hong Kong waters.

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To satisfy Hong Kong's appetite for seafood the Colony maintains a fishing fleet of more than 7,000 vessels—the largest in the British Commonwealth. Most of them operate within 250 miles of their base.

The pictures in this section are reproduced from a series of books 'The Marine Fishes of Hong Kong' compiled by the Agriculture and Fisheries Department and published by the Government Printer.

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This beautiful butterfly fish (Chaetodon ornatissimus), like many other attractive species has no commercial value in Hong Kong.

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