Fisheries

Briefing Session on the New Unified Brand for Local Agricultural and Fisheries Products

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) will launch a new unified brand for local agricultural and fisheries products in the middle of this year. The new brand aims to promote awareness of products and provide the public with safe, high-quality and reduced-carbon options, while enhancing the market competitiveness of products to increase the income levels of fishermen and farmers.

To raise the credibility of the new brand, the AFCD has subsidised the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency through the Sustainable Agricultural Development Fund to establish a certification, testing, and traceability mechanism for local agricultural and fishery products, ensuring that participating fishermen and farmers follow the production standards and methods set out by the AFCD, as well as comply with the food safety indicators and testing requirements. Certified products will be attached with a traceability label to enable consumers to obtain information on the fish farms/farms where they were produced.

The Department will organise three briefing sessions as listed in the following table. Interested fishermen and farmers are invited to register in advance by phone to attend the briefing session. Successfully registrants may choose to attend either virtually via Zoom or in person. Please note that on-site capacity is limited and seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Target	Date	Time	Venue	Registration and Inquiry Phone Number
Crop Farmers	21 May 2026 (Thu)	10:00 AM	Conference Room, Tai Lung Experimental Farm, Lin Tong Mei, Fan Kam Road, Sheung Shui, N.T.	2668 0418
Mariculturists	22 May 2026 (Fri)	10:00 AM	1/F Meeting Room, Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market, 102 Shek Pai Wan Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong	2150 7088 / 2150 7089
Pond Fish Farmers	27 May 2026 (Wed)	2:00 PM	Au Tau Fisheries Office, 27 Milestone, Castle Peak Road, Yuen Long, N.T.	2471 9142

“Fisheries Development Loan Fund” (FDLF) Loans Mortgaged Fishing Vessels Public Auction

Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department has commissioned Associated Surveyors & Auctioneers Ltd. (the agent) to conduct a public auction for selling of 2 mortgaged steel hull fishing vessels of default FDLF loans at 11:30 a.m. on 15 June 2026 (Monday). Please visit the following link for details of the public auction:

https://www.associated.com.hk/zh/afcd-auction/15-jun-2026

For enquiries on the auction and the 2 mortgaged fishing vessels, please contact the agent at 2522 2088 or by email at admin@associated.com.hk

Fish Marketing Organization Loan Fund (2026 Fishing Moratorium Special Loans)

The fishing moratorium in the South China Sea 2026 begins on 1 May 2026 and ends on 16 August 2026. All fishing operations, except for hand-lining, are included in the moratorium; fish collectors providing services to fishing vessels must also adhere to the moratorium.

To assist fishermen during this year's fishing moratorium, applications for the 2026 Fishing Moratorium Special Loans will begin from 1 April 2026. Eligible applicants must submit their application forms and relevant documents to the Fisheries Liaison Offices in their respective districts between 1 April and 29 May 2026. Applicants may also submit their completed application forms and copies of the required documents by mail to the Fisheries Credit Section, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, 8/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon.

https://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/fish_cap/fish_cap_techsup/fish_cap_fmolf.html#ApplicationForms

For enquiries, please contact the Fisheries Credit Section via 2150 7145 / 2150 7125.

END

Monday, March 30, 2026

AFCD launches the Digital Licensing Platform for Marine Fish Culture Licence

To facilitate management of marine fish culture licence, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has launched the marine fish culture licence digital licensing platform on 6 March 2026. Licensees and authorised persons may verify their identity via iAM Smart, and view relevant details of their licences on the platform (click here to access).

For enquiries, please call 2150 7109

End

Government to remove oyster rafts not authorised to temporarily remain in Deep Bay starting from next month

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     The Government's inter-departmental working group responsible for tackling management issues of oyster rafts in Deep Bay announced today (May 23) that in accordance with the first phase of the management plan, existing oyster rafts in Deep Bay without authorisation to temporarily remain (i.e. oyster rafts without markers) will be removed starting from next month.

     The working group announced on July 25, 2023 that a freezing survey of the number and locations of oyster rafts in Deep Bay had completed. Last September, based on results of the freezing survey, the working group requested relevant local oyster farmers to submit records of their oyster cultivation activities. Subsequently, the working group provided markers with unique identification numbers to farmers which had submitted records, and required them to attach these markers to their corresponding oyster rafts for the working group to inspect.

     Oyster rafts attached with markers provided by the working group may temporarily remain in Deep Bay, and the working group will handle these rafts in the next phase of the management plan. Other oyster farmers in the area must remove oyster rafts without the said markers and all associated items on or before May 31. Otherwise, the working group will take appropriate action starting from next month under the Shipping and Port Control Ordinance (Cap. 313), including removal of such rafts.

     A spokesman for the working group said, "Oyster rafts without markers provided by the working group are not permitted to remain in Deep Bay after May 31. Otherwise, they will be removed accordingly, and relevant persons may also be legally liable. The working group will assess factors such as navigational safety, water quality, and environmental conditions in Deep Bay, as well as the condition of oyster rafts authorised to temporarily remain in the next stage. With reference to this assessment, the working group will determine the culture area, actual number of oyster rafts, and culture locations to be permitted for oyster cultivation in Deep Bay under the management plan."

     The Government's inter-departmental working group consists of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, the Lands Department, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Marine Department, the Environmental Protection Department, and the Home Affairs Department. Members of the public can call 2150 7093, fax to 2314 2866 or email mailbox@afcd.gov.hk to contact the working group.

Ends

Thursday, May 23, 2024

AFCD conducts exercise to test red tide outbreak response

On June 15 to 17, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) in conjunction with the Food and Health Bureau, the Marine Department, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Environmental Protection Department, the Department of Health, the Water Supplies Department, the Hong Kong Observatory, the Red Tide Expert Advisory Group (RTEAG) and mariculturist, carried out an exercise to review the departments’ preparedness in combating red tide or harmful algal bloom (HAB) causing fish kill in Hong Kong. The exercise followed a hypothetical scenario involving the detection of a potentially toxic algal species, which is harmful to fish, at densities above the normal level in one of the fish culture zones in Hong Kong, triggering the "Alert" mode of response under the Red Tide/HAB Contingency Plan. The exercise was completed successfully.

The exercise was conducted in two parts, namely a Table-top Exercise and a Hands-on Exercise. The Table-top Exercise tested the effectiveness of information exchange and dissemination among relevant government departments, the mariculturists concerned, and members of the RTEAG, in response to red tide or HAB. The Hands-on Exercise, on the other hand, examined personnel mobilisation and equipment deployment on tackling such conditions among relevant departments, the effectiveness of risk assessment, and preparedness for possible large-scale fish kill and raft relocation.

Latest Fishermen Training Courses

Please refer to the Chinese version for detailed information:

http://www.afcd.gov.hk/tc_chi/fisheries/fish_cap/fish_cap_techsup/Fishermen_Training_Programme_Menu.html

Subsidies for Pond Fish Culture Farm Owners

The operation and business of pond fish culture farms have been mainly affected by the serious and prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food business sector. The government therefore provides a subsidy of $10,000 to each eligible pond fish culture farm owner.

Application for subsidies to pond fish culture farm owners under the Anti-epidemic Fund is closed. Successful applicants will receive the subsidy in crossed cheques by post.

Enquiry telephone number: 2471 9567

NEW "Accredited Fish Farm Scheme" Guideline

The "Accredited Fish Farm Scheme" aims to improve the management and production level of aquaculture farms by promoting good aquaculture methods, production process standards and pre-sales testing, and to provide aquatic product certification services to participating farms. From time to time, the Department updates the contents of the Scheme to meet the requirements of the certification. The new version of the handbook also contains additional requirements for crab farming and certification under the "Accredited Fish Farm Scheme". Click here to download the new version of the manual(only in Chinese).

Accredited Fish Farm Scheme

An interactive exhibition corner featuring local "Accredited Fish Farm Scheme" (AFFS) is newly on display in the Fisheries Hall of Lions Nature Education Centre (LNEC), Sai Kung. For details, please visit https://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/country/cou_lea/cou_lea_ven/lions.html

Accredited Fish Farm Scheme

[Download Acrobat Reader to open PDF file]

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