ENG-2006 — Page 235

Food Safety, Environmental Hygiene, Agriculture and Fisheries 191

In addition, the department continued to assist fishermen to switch to sustainable modes of operation. It also helped them to cope with the annual fishing moratorium in the South China Sea, imposed by the Mainland authorities by providing technical support, liaison services and credit facilities. About $60 million was injected into the Fish Marketing Organisation Loan Fund to strengthen loan aid to fishermen affected by the annual fishing moratorium. Another $190 million was added to the Fisheries Development Loan Fund to provide loans to fishermen to help them switch to sustainable fisheries, or related operations and for fish farmers to develop their aquaculture business.

The Committee on Sustainable Fisheries was established in late 2006 to advise the Government on long-term goals and direction for the sustainable development of the Hong Kong fisheries industry, and on strategy.

The AFCD conducts studies and provides technical services to fish farmers to strengthen the aquaculture industry's sustainability. A fish health management programme is being carried out to help fish farmers minimise losses caused by fish. disease. As part of the programme, AFCD staff visit farmers regularly to teach them how to prevent and detect disease breaking out in their farms. The programme also provides for the provision of a diagnostic laboratory service for examining the cause of disease outbreaks and for advising farmers on appropriate action to take in the event of such outbreaks. Improved techniques and good management practices are introduced to farmers through seminars, on-farm demonstrations and leaflets. The department also identifies new fish species that have good market potential.

Following the successful completion of a trial in hatching imported jade perch fertilised eggs and in rearing fish fry in temperature-controlled tanks, the department introduced the technique to fish farmers and helped them produce a fresh batch of jade perch fry to maintain a stable supply of the species at a lower price.

The AFCD is continuing its voluntary Accredited Fish Farm Scheme to strengthen the aquaculture industry's competitiveness. Fish farms taking part in the scheme are required to adopt good aquaculture practices to raise their farms' hygiene standards and the quality of their cultured fish. Quality assurance tests, including analyses of drug residues and heavy metals in fish are conducted to ensure that the cultured fish. meet the required food safety standards before they are sold. Since the start of the scheme in mid-2005, 61 fish farms have registered under the scheme. Together, they sold over 36 000 kilograms of the accredited fish, comprising Pompano, grey mullets and green groupers. The 61 participating farms occupy about 10 per cent of the area used by the local fish industry as a whole. The accredited fish carry tags bearing the scheme's name, 'Accredited Fish Farm Scheme' to distinguish them from other fish. The AFCD and the Fish Marketing Organisation work together to promote the

marketing of this category of fish.

As a result of the promising findings of the study carried out in the Kau Sai fish culture zone where specially designed artificial reefs known as biofilters are used to improve the water quality and seabed there, the AFCD is planning to install the same kind of biofilters in another fish culture zone in Sham Wan.