ENG-1976 — Page 80

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Primary Production

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In its efforts to become as self-sufficient as possible in the production of fresh foods, Hong Kong began a new series of fishery surveys during 1976 to explore the pelagic or midwater marine resources in the South China Sea.

The project follows earlier surveys and studies which show that Hong Kong could face a shortage of sea fish by 1981. This is mainly because the traditional fishing grounds are in danger of being over exploited. These grounds have long been fished for locally-popular species of demersal or sea-bottom fishes.

The aim of the surveys is to establish the temporal and geographical distribu- tion of unexploited midwater fish stocks in the northern part of the South China Sea in order to help determine what should be done to maintain an adequate supply of fish. Dependent on which species are found to be the most abundant, the surveys will also help the government to plan the introduction of the most appropriate types of fishing gear to exploit such species.

The surveys began in October and will take a year to complete. They are being carried out by the Agriculture and Fisheries Department from its research vessel Cape St. Mary, on which a powerful sonar has been installed to locate shoals of fish. Also in use are a scientific echo sounder and other sophisticated equipment on permanent loan from the South China Sea Fisheries Development and Co-ordinating Programme, which is funded by the United Nations and the Canadian International Development Agency.

In the production of fresh foods generally-such as vegetables, pigs, poultry and fish-Hong Kong already meets a significant proportion of the community's requirements, even though only 12 per cent of the total land area is used for farming and less than two per cent of the working population is involved in fishing.

The 1971 census showed that farmers comprised only 2.09 per cent of the total economically active population of Hong Kong, while fisherfolk made up another 1.88 per cent. Hong Kong's fishing fleet catches about 92 per cent of all fresh marine fish eaten in the territory, and local pond fish farmers produce some 15 per cent of the freshwater fish consumed. Agricultural production is limited by the availability of suitable land rather than by numbers of people in the industry. Farmers in the New Territories produce about 44 per cent of the vegetables consumed, some 48 per cent of the total live chicken requirements, and about 16 per cent of all pigs slaughtered.

The sudden increase in Hong Kong's population during the 1950s, due to large scale immigration from China, gave considerable stimulus to agricultural production --both because of the increased demand and because many arrivals were skilled