A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said today (April 3) that to assist the fisheries industry to tackle the financial difficulties arising from the COVID-19 epidemic, the Government's subsidies under the Anti-epidemic Fund to eligible applicants of a total of 583 cases has been disbursed to owners of fishing vessels or fish collector vessels with Mainland deckhands, and live marine fish wholesale traders operating in the wholesale fish markets of the Fish Marketing Organization (FMO).
 
     The department has approved 538 applications from owners of fishing vessels or fish collector vessels with Mainland deckhands, involving subsidies of $82,520,000. For live marine fish wholesale traders operating in the wholesale fish markets of the FMO, 45 applications have been approved involving subsidies of $9,000,000. The department will process the remaining applications as soon as possible in order to provide assistance to eligible applicants.
 
     Owners of fishing vessels or fish collector vessels who have not yet submitted applications can download the application form from the AFCD's website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/what_fis/what_fis.html). Applicants should submit the completed application forms together with copies of the required documents by mail to the Fisheries Enforcement and Special Projects Division of the AFCD at 8/F of Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon; or place them in the drop-in boxes at the lift lobby of Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, and Aberdeen, Castle Peak, and Shau Kei Wan Wholesale Fish Markets under the FMO. The deadline for application is April 17. Vessel owners who are not in Hong Kong can authorise an agent to handle their applications.
 
     For more details, please contact the department at 2150 7100 or 2150 7108 (owners of fishing vessels or fish collector vessels), or 2150 7103 (live marine fish wholesale traders), or view the department's website (www.afcd.gov.hk).

Ends/Friday, April 3, 2020
Issued at HKT 21:32

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