Fresh fish constitutes one of Hong Kong's most important primary products. The capture and culture fisheries produces an estimated 161 960 tonnes and 3 570 tonnes respectively in 2005, with a total value of $1.7 billion.

The Hong Kong fishing fleet comprises some 4 150 vessels which are manned by around 9 170 local fishermen and 4 251 Mainland deckhands. The predominant fishing method is trawling, which accounted for 82 per cent of the catch, or 132 340 tonnes. Other fishing methods include lining, gill netting and purse-seining. The 161 960 tonne total fish catch had an estimated wholesale value of $1.6 billion. Discounting the catch landed or sold outside Hong Kong, some 58 800 tonnes of the catch were supplied for local consumption.

Under licence from the AFCD, 1 104 mariculturists operate in 26 designated fish culture zones. They supplied 1 540 tonnes of live marine fish valued at $76 million.

Freshwater and brackish water fish are cultured in fish ponds covering some 1 030 ha, most of which are located in the northwestern New Territories. With the increasing urbanisation of the New Territories, commercial fish pond production has gradually declined. Pond fish culture yielded some 1 900 tonnes, or 6 per cent, of freshwater fish for local consumption.

The AFCD continued to pursue a number of fisheries management and conservation measures and strengthened enforcement against destructive fishing practices in order to promote sustainable development of the fishing industry and conserve fisheries resources in Hong Kong waters. During the year, it continued to monitor, via an underwater survey, the performance of the deployed artificial reefs at Hoi Ha Wan and Yan Chau Tong Marine Parks, Port Shelter and Long Harbour in enhancing and supporting fisheries populations. The results indicated that artificial reefs with a more complex structure supported a higher diversity of fish population. Over 220 species of fish, including many high-valued species such as groupers, breams, snappers and sweetlips, have been using the reefs for feeding, shelter and as spawning and nursery areas. In addition, the department continued to assist fishermen in offshore fishing ventures and other sustainable modes of operation and helped them to cope with the annual fishing moratorium in the South China Sea enforced by the Mainland fisheries authorities by providing technical support, liaison services and credit facilities.

The AFCD conducts adaptive development studies and provides technical services to fish farmers with the aim of enhancing the sustainability of the local aquaculture industry. A fish health management programme is in place to help fish farmers minimise losses due to fish disease. Under the programme, regular visits are conducted to educate farmers on measures to prevent and detect disease and a laboratory diagnostic service is provided to investigate the cause(s) of disease outbreaks and advise farmers on appropriate treatment methods. Improved culture techniques and good management practices are also introduced to farmers through seminars, on-farm demonstrations and advisory leaflets. In recent years, with the AFCD's support, an increasing number of marine fish farmers have switched from trash fish feed to moist or dry pellet feed which reduces pollution and improves both feed efficiency and fish health. The department is identifying new species with good market potential that can be recommended to farmers and provide a wider choice of species for culture. Following the successful completion of a culture trial on jade perch, the department has successfully hatched imported fertilised jade perch eggs and a batch of juvenile jade perch was sold to fish farmers for culture. This helps fish farmers secure a stable supply of fish fry at lower costs.

The AFCD implemented the voluntary Accredited Fish Farm Scheme in mid 2005 in a bid to enhance the competitiveness of local aquaculture industry. Participating fish farms under the scheme are required to adopt a set of good aquaculture practices with a view to raising the environmental hygiene standards of the farms and the quality of cultured fish. Quality assurance tests including analyses of drug residues and heavy metals in fish will be conducted to ensure that the cultured fish meet the food safety standards before they are sold to the market. The scheme was well received by local mariculturists and pond fish farmers and a total of 30 fish farms have been registered under the scheme since its inception. The first batch of the cultured fish accredited under the scheme — Pompano, grey mullets and green groupers — was sent to the local market in late 2005. The accredited fish are marked with specially designed fish tags under the 'Accredited Fish Farm Scheme' brand name so that they can be easily recognised by the public.

To mitigate the impact of mariculture on the surrounding environment, the AFCD, in collaboration with the City University of Hong Kong, has completed a study in the Kau Sai fish culture zone on using specially designed artificial reefs known as biofilters to provide a hard substratum for growing filter-feeders, such as green-lipped mussels, to trap and remove organic wastes, thereby improving the water quality. The study findings showed that the biofilters have helped improve seabed environment within the fish culture zone. In response to public demand, the AFCD continued to operate a scheme to allow mariculturists to carry out recreational fishing activities on fish culture rafts. By the end of the year, the department had approved a total of 10 fish culture zones for angling.

The department continued to implement its red tide monitoring and management measures to minimise the impact of red tides on mariculture. The monitoring effort includes proactive phytoplankton monitoring before the formation of a red tide and rapid risk assessment of red tide incidents. Red tide warnings are disseminated to mariculturists and the public through the red tide support groups set up in fish culture zones, press releases and the AFCD website. In 2005, a total of 41 red tides were recorded in Hong Kong waters.