​The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) announced today (July 7) that applications for marine fish culture licences and the use of government-provided deep sea cages in the new fish culture zone at Mirs Bay (South) are open for applications from today until September 6, to assist capture fishermen in switching to sustainable deep sea mariculture.

     A spokesman for the AFCD said, "Unlike the small-scale operations using traditional wooden fish rafts in the past, we aim to encourage the intensification of production for fishermen in the new fish culture zones while adopting a sustainable and environmentally friendly mode of operation, together with the use of steel truss cages or other types of deep sea cages that are resilient to strong wind and water current." 

     To reduce the start-up cost for fishermen, the AFCD will set up two sets of steel truss deep sea cages and three sets of HDPE (high density polyethylene) deep sea cages equipped with modern aquaculture facilities in phases in the new fish culture zone at Mirs Bay (South) by the end of this year. These deep sea cages will be provided to local fishermen associations through licence agreements to help capture fishermen meet new challenges and assist the industry in switching to sustainable development or high-value-added aquaculture practices. 

     Applicants shall provide a detailed business plan, including an introduction to the proposed sustainable mariculture business, as well as a demonstration of their eligibility to use government cages and compliance with the relevant environmental protection and mitigation measures. 

     The spokesman added that those interested in operating in the new fish culture zone may consider applying for the Sustainable Fisheries Development Fund to develop their mariculture businesses. However, the fund cannot be used to pay for the licence fees of government cages. 

     The AFCD has designated Wong Chuk Kok Hoi, Mirs Bay, Outer Tap Mun, and Po Toi (Southeast) as the four new fish culture zones, covering a total area equivalent to three times that of the original fish culture zones. Among these, the Wong Chuk Kok Hoi and Mirs Bay fish culture zones began accepting the first round of marine fish culture licence applications by the end of 2024. 

     The AFCD will hold a briefing session on July 17 to introduce the application process and licensing requirements of marine fish culture licences and the use of deep sea cages. Details of the application and the briefing session are available on the AFCD website: www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/fish_aqu/fish_aqu_mfco/newfczmfcl2025.html.

Ends/Monday, July 7, 2025
Issued at HKT 10:06

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