To provide financial and technical support to fishermen and fish farmers for promoting the sustainable development of the fisheries industry;
To enforce legislation to regulate and manage the fisheries industry;
To plan and implement suitable measures and projects for the conservation and management of fisheries resources; and
To provide administrative support to the Fish Marketing Organisation.
THE FISHERIES INDUSTRY
The fisheries industry, which comprises the capture fisheries, mariculture and pond fish culture sectors, provides a steady supply of fresh fish to the local market. In 2006, the capture fisheries and mariculture sectors accounted for about 21% of all seafood consumed in Hong Kong, whereas pond fish farms produced about 5% of freshwater fish consumption.
Capture Fisheries
In 2006, the estimated number of fishing vessels was about 3 950 and that of local fishermen was about 8 500. The main fishing methods are trawling, long-lining, hand-lining, gill-netting and purse-seining, with about 84% of the total catch obtained through trawling. The estimated number of fishing vessels by type is at Appendix 4. In 2006, the industry produced an estimated 154 536 tonnes of fish products, of which about 46 206 tonnes were consumed in Hong Kong.
Mariculture
Marine fish culture involves rearing marine fish in cages suspended by floating rafts in sheltered coastal areas. In 2006, there were 1 078 licenced operators in 26 fish culture zones (a location map is at Appendix 5), occupying a sea area of 209 hectares. Most licenced operations are small and family-based, with farm size averaging about 280 square metres. Estimated production in 2006 was 1 490 tonnes, or about 8% of all locally consumed live marine fish.
Pond Fish Culture
Most inland ponds are located in the Northwest New Territories. These ponds, covering some 1 030 hectares, produced 1 940 tonnes of freshwater fish in 2006. Most ponds practise polyculture of carps mixed with tilapia or grey mullet. Some coastal ponds have been converted to culture brackish species, such as scat, sea bream, pampano and giant grouper, to reap better profits.
SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT
The Department has implemented various measures to promote the sustainable development of the fisheries industry.
Capture Fisheries
Combating Destructive Fishing Practices
Hong Kong waters are patrolled regularly to deter destructive fishing practices prohibited under the Fisheries Protection Ordinance, Cap. 171. These practices include the use of explosives, toxic substances, dredging or suction devices and apparatus that transmits electricity. Two cases of illegal fishing were successfully prosecuted in 2006.
Artificial Reefs Deployment
Artificial reefs are effective in promoting the growth and development of various marine organisms which in turn provide food, shelter and protection for fish. Since 1996 the Department has been implementing an artificial reefs programme and some 167 000 cubic metres of artificial reefs for resource enhancement have been deployed at suitable locations including Marine Parks, and fish spawning and nursery grounds in Port Shelter and Long Harbour. To enhance the fisheries resources and conserve the marine ecology of the Tung Ping Chau Marine Park, 1 200 cubic metres of artificial reefs made from concrete structures of demolished piers were deployed in the park in 2006. Over 220 species of fish, including many high-valued species such as grouper, bream, snapper and sweetlip, have been using the reefs for feeding, shelter and as spawning and nursery areas.
Support Services
The Department provides technical support, training and liaison services, and credit facilities to fishermen. During the year, the Department continued to liaise with both the Mainland and foreign fisheries authorities and agencies to obtain information on offshore fishing, deep sea fishing, recreational fishing, aquaculture and fish processing, and disseminate them to fishermen. Technical advice was also given to fishermen to help develop their business proposals. The Department also organised two trade conferences on the development of offshore fishing and a seminar on possible ways to reduce fuel consumption of fishing vessels, and worked with the Marine Department to study the feasibility and technical details of allowing Hong Kong fishing vessels to carry passengers for recreational fishing. Moreover, during the year the capital of the Fisheries Development Loan Fund was raised from $100 million to $290 million to strengthen loan aid to help fishermen switch to sustainable fisheries or related operations and fish farmers develop their aquaculture business. To help some 1 300 trawling and purse-seining fishermen affected by the annual two-month fishing moratorium in the South China Sea implemented by the Mainland authorities, special loans are made available under the Fish Marketing Organisation Loan Fund. Some 630 loans amounting to $77 million were issued to affected fishermen in 2006. Vocational training courses and seminars were also organised for fishermen during the period to raise their awareness of fisheries management and conservation, and to upgrade their knowledge and skills in vessel operation and fishing techniques.
Fisheries Impact Assessment
To protect fisheries resources and habitats, the Department continued to vet and provide professional advice on development proposals as well as relevant Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies, monitoring and audit programmes to ensure that the likely impacts of development projects on fisheries were adequately addressed, evaluated and minimised through effective mitigation. The Department also assisted in conducting investigations in fish kills or water quality deterioration incidents allegedly caused by development projects with a view to providing prompt advice on remedial actions and minimising fish loss.
Aquaculture
Proper Management of Marine Fish Culture Activities
Under the Marine Fish Culture Ordinance, Cap. 353, all marine fish culture activities in Hong Kong are required to operate under licence in designated fish culture zones. The Department conducts regular patrols in these fish culture zones and takes enforcement actions against illegal mariculture activities. As of March 2007, there were 1 078 licensed mariculturists.
To meet the growing public demand for recreational fishing facilities and to help mariculturists to diverisfy, the Department has implemented a scheme to allow mariculturists to carry out recreational fishing activities on fish culture rafts. As of March 2007, a total of 10 fish culture zones and 33 licencees had been approved by the Department to conduct such activities.
Safeguarding Aquaculture Environments
To minimise the impact of red tides and water quality deterioration on mariculture, the Department conducts regular monitoring on the water quality of fish culture zones and implements red tide monitoring and management measures. The latter includes proactive phytoplankton monitoring before the formation of a red tide and rapid risk assessment of reported red tide incidents. A computerised system using Geographic Information System technology has been established to help visualise the spatial and temporal distribution of red tides and provide a quick analysis of their development and movement. Prompt red tide warnings and technical advice are disseminated to mariculturists and the public through the red tide support groups set up in fish culture zones, press releases and the Red Tide website (www.hkredtide.org).
Fourteen red tide incidents were recorded in Hong Kong waters in 2006. All of these were caused by non-toxic algal species. No fish kills arose from any of these incidents.
In view of the promising findings from the study in the Kau Sai fish culture zone on using specially designed artificial reefs known as biofilters to help improve the water quality and seabed environment within the fish culture zone, the Department deployed ten biofilters, with a total volume of 540 cubic metres, at another suitable fish culture zone in Sham Wan in March 2007.
Promoting Good Aquaculture Practices
To help fish farmers minimise losses due to fish disease, the Department has put in place a fish health inspection programme. During the year, regular farm visits were conducted to facilitate early detection of disease outbreaks, training was provided to fish farmers on disease prevention measures and fish disease diagnosis and treatment services were given in case of an outbreak. Improved culture techniques and good management practices were introduced to farmers through seminars, on-farm demonstrations and advisory leaflets.
Accredited Fish Farm Scheme
The Department introduced a voluntary Accredited Fish Farm Scheme in mid 2005 to enhance the competitiveness of the local aquaculture industry. Participating fish farms under the scheme are required to adopt a set of best aquaculture practices with a view to raising the environmental hygiene standards of the fish farms and the quality of cultured fish. Quality assurance tests, including analyses of drug residues and heavy metals in fish, are conducted to ensure that all cultured fish meet food safety standards before they are sold in the market. The scheme has been very well received by local mariculturists and pond fish farmers. By April 2007, a total of 65 fish farms (18 fish ponds and 47 mariculture farms), representing 11% of the total area of local fish farms, had registered under the scheme. In collaboration with the Fish Marketing Organisation, the Department continues to publicise and promote the marketing of fish products under this brand name.
Voluntary Registration of Local Aquaculture Farms
To promote the quality of local aquaculture farms, the Department implemented in early 2007 a voluntary registration scheme for local pond fish farms. As of March 2007, 150 pond fish farmers had been registered.
Committee on Sustainable Fisheries A Committee on Sustainable Fisheries was set up in December 2006 to study the long term goals and directions as well as feasible options and implementation strategy for the sustainable development of fisheries industry, with regard to fisheries trends, ecological sustainability, economic viability and other relevant factors, such as financial implications and social impact. The Department chairs and services the Committee. Initial discussions were held during the report period. The Committee is expected to deliver a report in the latter half of 2008.
Marketing
Ensuring Orderly Wholesale Marketing
To ensure the orderly marketing of fresh marine fish, the Department continued to undertake enforcement actions against illegal wholesale marketing of marine fish in accordance with the Marine Fish (Marketing) Ordinance, Cap. 291. Technical and administrative support was also provided to the Fish Marketing Organisation (FMO), a statutory corporation established under Cap. 291, to ensure that orderly fish marketing services were provided to fishermen and fish traders through the wholesale fish markets operated by the FMO.
Promotion of Local Fisheries Products
The Department works closely with the FMO to promote local fisheries products. In 2006, the FMO continued to develop quality fisheries products at its processing centre and successfully brought local fisheries products, in particular, fish accredited under Accredited Fish Farm Scheme, to the local public through its marketing network.
