ENG-1977 — Page 92

PRIMARY PRODUCTION

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for some $312 million. This included 460 tonnes of imported marine fish sold through these markets.

Facilities in existing wholesale markets are inadequate for handling the ever- increasing quantities of imported fresh vegetables, fruit, poultry and eggs, freshwater fish and crustacea. There is widespread obstruction, traffic congestion and low market- ing efficiency at high costs. With the obvious need to improve these markets, detailed plans have been made for establishing new markets in Kowloon and on Hong Kong Island. They will be under the direct aegis of the Agriculture and Fisheries Department. Work on reclaiming sites for these market projects was started during the year.

Because of the need for early action, it has proved necessary for the government to construct and use a number of temporary wholesale markets until permanent markets are built. Three are located in the Cheung Sha Wan district, adjacent to a site ear- marked for the permanent market project in Kowloon.

Mining

Kaolin, feldspar and quartz are mined by opencast methods. Most high-grade kaolin is exported to Japan and most feldspar to Taiwan. All quartz, some feldspar and about 14 per cent of kaolin are consumed by local light industries.

Under the Mining Ordinance, the ownership and control of minerals is vested in the Crown. The Land Officer is empowered to grant mining leases and the Commis- sioner of Mines to grant mining and prospecting licences. Details of leases and licences in operation are published twice a year in the Government Gazette. At the end of 1977, three mining leases, eight licences and two prospecting licences were valid for different

areas.

The Mines Division of the Labour Department, in addition to dealing with mining and prospecting applications, controls the possession, conveyance, storage, manufac- ture and use of explosives on land in Hong Kong. It is responsible for inspecting mining and prospecting areas, stone quarries, blasting sites and explosives stores, and en- forcing mining and explosives legislation and safety regulations. It also issues shot- firers' blasting certificates, controls the delivery of explosives from government depots to blasting sites, and manages government explosives depots that provide bulk storage facilities for all explosives imported into Hong Kong.

Under a continuing agreement with the Ministry of Defence, a quantity of explo- sives is stored at ammunition depots on Stonecutters Island to relieve the storage burden at government depots. Expansion of the explosives storage facilities on Stone- cutters Island to replace completely the Green Island Government Depot, as well as the establishment of a cartridged slurry explosive manufactory on the island, is expected to take place in late 1978 or early 1979.