Capture Fisheries
In 2005, the capture fishing industry comprised some 4 150 fishing vessels and about 9 170 local fishermen. The main fishing methods are trawling, long-lining, hand-lining, gill-netting and purse-seining, with about 82% of the total catch obtained through trawling. The number of fishing vessels by type is shown in Appendix 4. In 2005, the industry produced an estimated 161 960 tonnes of fish products, of which about 58 790 tonnes were consumed in Hong Kong.
Mariculture
Marine fish culture involves rearing marine fish in cages suspended by floating rafts in sheltered coastal areas. There are 1 092 licensed operators in 26 fish culture zones (a location map is shown in Appendix 5) occupying a sea area of 209 hectares. Most licensed operations are small and family-based, with farm size averaging about 270 square metres. Estimated production in 2005 was 1 540 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 1 900 tonnes of freshwater fish in 2005. 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 the following 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. A total of four cases of illegal fishing were successfully prosecuted in 2005.
Artificial Reefs Deployment
Since 1996 the Department has been implementing an artificial reefs programme to enhance local marine resources. To date, some 166 040 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. In 2005, the Department continued to use underwater surveys to monitor the performance of these artificial reefs in enhancing and supporting fisheries populations. The monitoring results indicated that the more complex the structure of the artificial reef, the more diverse the fish population it supports. Over 220 species of fish, including many high-value species such as groupers, breams, snappers and sweetlips, have been using the reefs for feeding, shelter and as spawning and nursery areas.
Formulation of Suitable Fisheries Management Measures
To effectively control fishing activities in Hong Kong and bring our fisheries back on a sustainable path, the Department has made proposals to amend the Fisheries Protection Ordinance to provide a regulatory framework for the establishment of a fishing licence system, designation of fisheries protection areas and implementation of a territory-wide closed season for fishing. An extensive public consultation exercise with fishermen groups, green groups, advisory committees, district councils and the public was also conducted to solicit their views on the proposal. A Fisheries Management Working Group, comprising representatives from the fishing community, green groups, academics and relevant government departments and bureaux, has been established to discuss concerns raised by stakeholders and consider the implementation details of the proposals.
Sustainable Fisheries and Related Operations
The Department assists fishermen to switch to sustainable fisheries and related operations through the provision of technical support, training and liaison services, and credit facilities. During the year, the Department continued to liaise with both Mainland and foreign fisheries authorities and agencies to obtain information on sustainable fisheries and related operations such as offshore fishing, deep sea fishing, recreational fishing, aquaculture and fish processing. This information was then disseminated to fishermen. Apart from providing technical advice to help fishermen develop their business proposals, the Department also organised two training courses and a seminar to enhance fishermen’s knowledge and skills in sustainable fisheries and related operations. Loans are made available under the Fisheries Development Loan Fund and the Fish Marketing Organisation Loan Fund to assist fisherman switching to sustainable fisheries.
Fisheries Impact Assessment
To protect fisheries resources and habitats, the Department continues 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 works on fisheries are adequately addressed, evaluated and minimised through effective mitigation.
Cross-Boundary Liaison
Close communication channels have been established with Mainland authorities to facilitate discussion and co-operation in cross-boundary issues pertinent to the management and conservation of fisheries resources in the South China Sea, which are of common interest to both local and Mainland fishermen. Various issues, including the implementation of a fishing moratorium in the South China Sea, the introduction of a new management framework for Hong Kong fishing vessels operating in Mainland waters, and the development of sustainable fisheries have been discussed with Mainland counterparts through these channels.
 Public Education
To enhance public awareness of the importance of fisheries resources conservation, the Department set up the Fisheries Education Centre in Aberdeen in 2003. The centre enables visitors to gain a better understanding of the local fishing industry, fisheries resources and fisheries management measures through exhibits, interactive games and a video show. Over 18 000 visitors have patronised the centre since its opening. The Department also continues to disseminate fisheries conservation messages to the community through the Hong Kong Fish Net website (www.hk-fish.net).
Provision of Support Services
Various support services are provided to the fishing industry to help fishermen cope with their changing operational environment. Measures include the implementation of the Mainland Fishermen Deckhands Scheme to address the fishing industry’s manpower shortage, administration of fisheries loan funds to provide financial assistance to fishermen, and supervision of fisheries co-operative societies to promote co-operation among fishermen. To help some 1 400 trawling and purse-seining fishermen affected by the annual two-month fishing moratorium in the South China Sea implemented by Mainland authorities, special loans are made available under the Fish Marketing Organisation Loan Fund. Some 500 loans amounting to $43.2 million were issued to affected fishermen in 2005. Vocational training courses and seminars were also organised for fishermen during the period to raise their awareness of fisheries management and conservation, and upgrade their knowledge and skills in vessel operation and fishing techniques.
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 to these fish culture zones and takes enforcement actions against illegal mariculture activities to ensure proper management of marine fish culture activities
To meet growing public demand for recreational fishing facilities and to alleviate the hardship of mariculturists, the Department has implemented a scheme to allow mariculturists to carry out recreational fishing activities on fish culture rafts. Mariculturists who wish to participate in the scheme are required to put in place suitable measures to safeguard the mariculture environment and ensure public safety. As at March 2006, a total of 10 fish culture zones and 33 licensees have 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 of the water quality in 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 (http://www.hkredtide.org).
A total of 41 red tide incidents were recorded in Hong Kong waters in 2005. All of these occurrences were caused by non-toxic algal species. No fish kill arose from any of these incidents.
The Department also continues to vet and provide professional advice on development proposals as well as relevant EIA studies, monitoring and audit programmes to ensure that the likely impacts of development works on aquaculture are adequately evaluated and minimised through effective mitigation. Moreover, the Department assists in conducting investigations in fish kill or water quality deterioration incidents allegedly caused by development works with a view to providing prompt advice on remedial actions and minimising fish loss.
Promoting Good Aquaculture Practices
 In Hong Kong, fish disease outbreaks are mainly caused by pathogenic bacteria or parasitic protozoa as well as problems related to water quality and the husbandry practices of fish farms. To help fish farmers minimise losses due to fish disease, the Department has put in place a fish health inspection programme under which regular farm visits are conducted to facilitate early detection of disease outbreaks, train fish farmers on disease prevention measures and provide fish disease diagnosis and treatment services in case of an outbreak. Improved culture techniques and good management practices are introduced to farmers through seminars, on-farm demonstrations and advisory leaflets.
Continuous effort is also made to promote the use of pellet feed to replace trash fish, the traditional feed for aquaculture. Dry pellet fish feed can significantly reduce the pollution caused by fish feeding and improve both feed efficiency and fish health. Commercially available dry pellet fish feed is collected regularly for nutritional analysis to assist fish farmers in choosing suitable feed. With the Department’s support, an increasing number of marine fish farmers have switched to dry pellet feed in recent years.
 Identification of New Culture Species
To provide a wider choice of species for culture, the Department proactively identifies new species with good market potential that can be recommended to farmers. Following the successful completion of culture trials on jade perch, the Department conducted a trial on the hatching of imported fertilised eggs of jade perch and the rearing of fish fry in temperature controlled tanks with a view to helping fish farmers secure a stable supply of fish fry at a lower cost. The result was satisfactory and a batch of juvenile jade perch was subsequently sold to fish farmers for culture.
Marketing
Ensuring Orderly Wholesale Marketing
To ensure orderly marketing of fresh marine fish, the Department undertakes enforcement actions against illegal wholesale marketing of marine fish in accordance with the Marine Fish (Marketing) Ordinance, Cap. 291. Technical and administrative support is also provided to the Fish Marketing Organisation (FMO), a statutory corporation established under Cap. 291, to ensure that orderly fish marketing services are provided to fishermen and fish traders through the wholesale fish markets operated by the FMO. In the interest of protecting public health, the FMO continues to strengthen the management of live marine fish wholesaling activities in its markets to ensure that such activities are operated in an orderly and hygienic manner.
Promotion of Local Fisheries Products
The Department works closely with the FMO to implement suitable measures to promote local fisheries products. A fish processing centre was set up by the FMO in 2005 to develop quality fisheries products and establish a brand name for marketing these products. To promote the marketing of local fisheries products, sustained effort was also made to assist the industry to participate in trade fairs and exhibitions organized both locally and in the Mainland.
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The fisheries industry, which comprises the capture fisheries, mariculture and pond fish culture sectors, makes an important contribution to Hong Kong by maintaining a steady supply of fresh fish to the local market. In 2005, the capture fisheries and mariculture sectors constituted about 26% of all seafood consumed in Hong Kong, whereas pond fish farms produced about 6% of freshwater fish consumption.