LCQ4: Promoting modernised development of aquaculture industry
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Question:
At present, there are over 1 000 aquaculture farmers in Hong Kong, and some members of the industry are concerned about how the Government will promote the modernisation of the aquaculture industry. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of (i) the overall number of people enrolling in, (ii) the actual number of people attending, and (iii) the number of people successfully completing the training programmes relating to smart fish culture organised by the Government over the past three years;
(2) of the number of aquaculture farmers granted approval under the Sustainable Fisheries Development Fund for acquiring modernised equipment such as water quality monitoring and automated feeding systems over the past three years; of the number of such farmers operating in marine fish culture zones and pond fish culture zones respectively; and
(3) how the Government has applied technology to assist in promoting the modernisation of the aquaculture industry (including marine fish culture and pond fish culture) over the past three years?
Reply:
President,
The Government is proactively promoting the modernisation and high-quality development of the local agricultural and fisheries (A&F) industries and encouraging the industries to upgrade and transform in accordance with the Blueprint for the Sustainable Development of Agriculture and Fisheries (the Blueprint). Specific measures include enhancing training of talents, providing financial support and facilitating technology application. These measures aim to assist the industries in addressing environmental challenges, steadily raising the quantity, quality and value of local A&F produce, and pursuing sustainable and diversified development, thereby benefitting the A&F industries as a whole, including the mariculture and pond fish culture sectors.
The reply to the question raised by the Hon Chan Pok-chi is as follows:
(1) The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Vocational Training Council (VTC) in 2024 to jointly nurture talents for modernised aquaculture. The AFCD assists the industry in providing internship opportunities for the VTC students to impart practical experience in aquaculture and conservation to those aspiring entrants to the industry, while the VTC offers them tuition fee subsidies and on-the-job training. The Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) under the VTC launched a part-time programme on "Diploma in Modernised Aquaculture" in 2025 to facilitate practicing fish farmers and other working individuals to pursue further studies during their spare time. Being the first aquaculture programme in Hong Kong accredited at Level 3 of the Qualifications Framework (QF), the programme takes about nine months to complete, and has produced 21 graduates. Field trips were arranged for students to the Ta Kwu Ling Operation Centre to acquire the indoor marine fish hatchery techniques, as well as to Yuen Long to visit the closed recirculating aquaculture system, with a view to gaining an in-depth understanding of the application of modernised aquaculture technologies.
In addition, to further professionalise and standardise the local fisheries training, and to provide aspiring entrants with a well-defined professional recognition and a clear career path, the IVE will launch the first part-time programme on "Professional Diploma in Deep Sea Mariculture", accredited at QF Level 4, in June this year. Spanning about nine months, the curriculum covers techniques and practices in deep-sea mariculture, science in water quality monitoring, nutrition of fish feed, disease prevention and management, as well as modern business operations and management, etc.
Given the popularity of the said professional diploma programme, the AFCD is actively exploring with the IVE to continue organising similar programmes in 2027 to sustain talent cultivation and meet the demands of the modernised development of the local fisheries industry.
In addition, the AFCD organised about 70 short-term training activities for the industry over the past three years. These included skills and knowledge training courses, technical seminars, workshops, forums and field visits, covering topics on Internet of Things (IoT) applications, real-time monitoring technologies, indoor recirculating aquaculture systems, smart aquaculture management, etc. The accumulated number of attendees reached 770, with an overall attendance rate exceeding 90 per cent.
The AFCD will continue to roll out diversified training activities and encourage the industry members to pursue continuous learning, enabling them to grasp the latest technological advancements and market development trends for comprehensive enhancement of their professional competence and competitiveness.
(2) The Government has set up the Sustainable Fisheries Development Fund (SFDF) with a commitment of $1 billion, which aims to support the industry in adopting sustainable and high value-added mode of operations. The Equipment Improvement Project under the SFDF provides grants to fishermen and fish farmers to upgrade their fisheries equipment or materials, thereby improving their production efficiency and fostering sustainable development.
Over the past three years, grants have been approved for 226 aquaculture farmers, including 120 marine fish farmers and 106 pond fish farmers, to acquire modernised equipment. The total amount of grant approved was about $11.28 million. The equipment they acquired with the grant included water quality control and monitoring equipment, automatic feeding machines, solar power generators, aerators, and security systems.
In addition, the SFDF has also subsidised projects that promote the modernisation of the aquaculture industry, including the "Aquaculture Extension Services for Hong Kong" and the "Fish Pump Sharing Project". The two projects provide fish farmers with specialised aquaculture veterinary services such as on-site diagnosis and treatment of fish diseases, technical advisory services and prescription medications, and fish pumps to replace manual cage changing and net washing respectively. Meanwhile, the SFDF has supported three projects to carry out modernised deep-sea mariculture in the new fish culture zones (FCZs), in which deep-sea cages with resistance to wind and wave equipped with modern management equipment such as automated feeding and real-time monitoring systems are being used, to promote commercial deep-sea mariculture. The total amount of grant for the above projects is about $48 million.
(3) The modernisation and technological advancement of aquaculture is a global development trend. The AFCD has proactively assisted and encouraged the local fish farmers to leverage technology to progressively transform from traditional mode of operation.
As regards deep-sea mariculture, referencing the practical experience of the development of deep-sea mariculture in the Mainland and the achievements of the Tung Lung Chau mariculture demonstration farm, the AFCD adopted steel truss cages or high-density polyethylene (HDPE) gravity-type cages with resistance to strong wind and wave, integrated with real-time surveillance, water quality monitoring and automated feeding systems, a solar and wind power generation system, etc. when designating the four new FCZs in 2023. These utilise water bodies more effectively, enhance production efficiency and give full play to the production potential of the new FCZs.
As regards pond fish culture, the Government will take the planned Sam Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park as a pilot to implement modernised high-density culture production model that integrates nature conservation with pond fish culture. In this regard, the AFCD launched a trial on the container eco-culture system at the demonstration point of the Au Tau Fisheries Office in Yuen Long last year. The system requires only a small area of the pond bund to conduct high-density fish culture. Tailwater undergoes sedimentation and purification through the associated ecological fish ponds, and can be reused after aeration, thus reducing the burden on the environment.The AFCD has also introduced a smart aquaculture management platform at the demonstration point to showcase remote real-time monitoring systems and smart management equipment that adopts artificial intelligence analysis, in order to enhance the effectiveness of aquaculture operations, overcome geographical limitations, and alleviate the problem of manpower shortage.
Besides, the Government plans to establish a Fisheries Research Centre in the Northern Metropolis to conduct research and experiments on modernised aquaculture, including projects on fry hatching, species selection, feed and nutrition management, disease prevention and health monitoring. The Centre will also promote processing of aquatic products, build a platform for industrial demonstration and promotion of technologies and establish a remote real-time monitoring platform, and at the same time provide supporting facilities to help deepen co-operation and exchanges in aquaculture research and development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, thereby facilitating the long-term development of the aquaculture industry.
President, the Government will actively steer the industry towards high value-added and modernised mode of operations for comprehensive enhancement in its overall competitiveness in accordance with the development direction of enhancing the overall production capacity, quality and efficiency of A&F laid down in the National 15th Five-Year Plan and the targets set out in the Blueprint, so as to provide the public with a more stable supply of premium local fisheries products.
Ends/Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Issued at HKT 13:00
Issued at HKT 13:00
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