ENG-2007 — Page 236

188 Food Safety, Environmental Hygiene, Agriculture and Fisheries

authorities by providing them with technical support, liaison services and credit facilities.

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

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. AFCD staff visit farmers regularly to give advice on how to prevent and detect disease outbreaks in their farms. A diagnostic laboratory service is in place to examine the cause of disease outbreaks and to advise 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 seeks to identify new fish species that have good market potential to introduce to local fish farmers.

The AFCD continues 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 launching of the scheme in mid-2005, 70 fish farms have registered under the scheme. Together, they sold over 95 000 kilogrammes of the accredited fish, comprising Pompano, grey mullets and green groupers in 2007. The 70 participating farms occupy about 12 per cent of the total area used by the local fish farmers. 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.

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 much lower price. Jade perch has been marketed under the Accredited Fish Farm Scheme and are well received by the public.

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 installed the same kind of biofilters in Sham Wan fish culture zone in 2007.

The department continues to monitor red tides to protect the mariculture industry. Preventive measures include phytoplankton monitoring which enables the detection of red tides as they begin to form and a quick assessment of the damage. they might cause. Red tide warnings are issued to the mariculturists through the support groups at the fish culture zones. They are also posted on the AFCD's website