Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ6: Organic aquaculture

     Following is a question by the Hon Tommy Cheung and a reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, in the Legislative Council today (December 11):

Question:

     In 2005, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) introduced the "Accredited Fish Farm Scheme" to enhance the quality of local fish products and set up a product quality assurance system so as to increase the competitiveness of such products. Moreover, to promote the sustainable development of the local aquaculture industry, AFCD has from time to time introduced new species of fish from abroad for culturing by fish farmers, e.g. the organic Jade Perch brought in from Australia and promoted comprehensively in 2011. It has been reported that despite a growing interest of the public in fish products from accredited fish farms and aquatic products cultured by organic aquaculture, the retail outlets of these fish products are mainly located in large supermarkets. Regarding the channels and situation of the sale of locally cultured fish products, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) whether it knows the number of retail outlets selling certified organic fish products in public markets in Hong Kong in each of the past three years; if such retail outlets are few in number, of the reasons for that, and whether it has planned to increase the number of such retail outlets to make such fish products more accessible to the public; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(b) whether it knows the respective annual production and sales volume of Jade Perch so far; whether it has assessed if the sale was satisfactory, and whether culturing Jade Perch in accredited fish farms was profitable; if it was not profitable, of the reasons for that?
 
Reply:

President,

     Organic aquaculture generally refers to the organic cultivation of aquatic animals in natural or artificial water bodies. In 2009, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) started to explore organic aquaculture and laid down a code of practice for organic aquaculture in collaboration with the Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre in the same year. The organic aquaculture standard comprises a strict code of practice on management which covers areas such as the aquaculture environment, sources of fish fry, choice of feed, stocking density, routine husbandry practices, fish health management and the process of transport and slaughtering. Organic aquaculture values the importance of ecological balance and animal welfare, avoids using synthetic chemical fish medicines and requires strictly the use of fish feed that have been independently certified to be organic.

     To promote organic aquaculture, AFCD assists fish farmers in acquiring accreditation for their organic aquatic products, carries out regular inspections of fish farms and water quality monitoring, and provides support in culture techniques. In addition, AFCD has been working closely with the Fish Marketing Organization (FMO) in promoting the sale of organic aquatic products, including setting up promotion booths in supermarkets and showcasing organic aquatic products in the FarmFest.  

     My reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:

(a) Two retail outlets are selling certified organic fish products in public markets in Hong Kong. They are located at Tai Kiu Market and Tung Yick Market in Yuen Long, and started business in March 2011 and September 2012 respectively. Both retail outlets are directly run by organic fish farmers. In total, there are 27 organic product sales outlets for local organic fish in Hong Kong, Of them, 17 obtain supply direct from an organic fish farm. The remaining ten sales outlets obtain supply from the FMO, which sources the products from organic fish farms.

     Organic certification bodies have laid down the requirements for handling organic products. Under such requirements, organic fish must be slaughtered and processed in a certified organic product processing centre, and individually packed and labelled as certified organic products. Certified organic fish products must also be stored separately from non-organic products in the course of delivery and sale. Not only will these requirements protect the products from contamination, they also facilitate the identification of genuine organic products by consumers. Fishmongers must be equipped with the necessary supporting facilities and comply with the relevant requirements when selling organic fish.  

     The organic aquaculture market in Hong Kong is at an early stage of development. As the production of organic fish is limited in scale, it is difficult for ordinary fishmongers in markets to secure adequate supply for maintaining a retail outlet. Only fresh fish shops directly run by operators of organic fish farms could ensure steady and sufficient supply. These fish farms have set up their own organic aquatic product processing centre for providing supply to their own retail outlets direct.

     In recent years, the FMO has been striving to increase the number of retail outlets for organic fish. Currently, organic fish products are processed in the accredited processing centre of the FMO and then distributed to supermarkets and organic product shops for sale. The FMO is also extending the distribution network for organic fish to retail outlets of organic products in various districts, and organic farmers' markets across the territory. With existing limited production, organic fish products are often out of stock in different retail outlets. If and when the supply of organic fish increases in the future, consideration may be given to extending the supplies to ordinary markets.

(b) Local organic aquatic products have been put on the market since 2011. In 2011 and 2012, the production volume of organic fish was 8 tonnes and 18 tonnes respectively. It is estimated that the production would reach 20 tonnes in 2013. There is healthy demand from the public for organic jade perch, which are often sold out shortly after they are put on the market.  

     According to feedback received by AFCD, it is the conservative estimate of fish farmers that the profit from organic fish farming exceeds that of conventional fish farming by 10%. The total water surface area for organic fish farming has increased from 20 163 square metres in 2011 to 51 819 square metres in 2013, representing an increase of 160%. Organic fish farming has its fair measure of attraction from the business perspective. However, the capital outlay and technical inputs that it takes to pursue organic fish farming are more intensive than that for traditional fish farming. Hence, many fish farmers are still adopting a cautious attitude towards the prospects of its future development. According to AFCD, the operators of about 15 fish ponds are seeking to start or switch to organic farming, including fish farmers who newly join the business and existing organic fish farmers who wish to expand their operations.

Ends/Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Issued at HKT 16:52

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