Minutes of the 2nd Meeting in 2018 of the Agriculture, Fisheries, Commerce, Industries, Tourism and Recreation Affairs Committee of Tai Po District Council Date: 9 March 2018 (Friday) Time: 9:30 a.m. – 10:57 a.m. Venue: Conference Room, Tai Po District Council (“TPDC”) Present Time of Arrival Time of Withdrawal Chairman Mr. YU Chi-wing, Ken Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Members Mr. CHAN Cho-leung, MH 9:34 a.m. End of the meeting Mr. CHAN Siu-kuen, MH, JP 9:33 a.m. End of the meeting Mr. CHOW Yuen-wai 9:36 a.m. End of the meeting Mr. KWAN Wing-yip Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Dr. LAU Chee-sing Beginning of the meeting 10:39 a.m. Mr. LAU Yung-wai 9:33 a.m. End of the meeting Mr. LI Wah-kwong, Rex Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. LO Hiu-fung 10:12 a.m. End of the meeting Mr. TAM Wing-fun, Eric, MH 9:35 a.m. End of the meeting Mr. TANG Ming-tai, Patrick Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Ms. WONG Pik-kiu, BBS, MH, JP Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. WOO Kin-man, Clement Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. YAM Kai-bong, Francis Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Co-opted Members Mr. LAM B Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. LO Chi-ping Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. MO Ka-hung, Joseph Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Secretary Ms. LIU Ka-man, Mandy Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Executive Officer (District Council) 2 / Tai Po District Office (“TPDO”) / Home Affairs Department (“HAD”) - 2 - In attendance Mr. CHAN Lap-wai Senior Assistant Shipping Master / North / Marine Department (“MD”) Ms. LUK Pui-man Senior Health Inspector (Cleansing / Pest Control) / Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (“FEHD”) Ms. NG Wing-yin Deputy District Leisure Manager (Tai Po) 1 / Leisure and Cultural Services Department (“LCSD”) Mr. NG Chi-keung, Barry Senior Librarian (Tai Po) / LCSD Mr. LEUNG Cheuk-ming, Rico Senior Manager (New Territories East) Promotion / LCSD Ms. NG Sheung-han, Alice Manager (New Territories East) Marketing and District Activities / LCSD Mr. WU Tip-ming, Wilson Senior Field Officer (Agricultural Extension) / Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (“AFCD”) Ms. TSOI Wing-yan, Connie Fisheries Officer (Aquaculture Management) 2 / AFCD Mr. NG Wing-hung Senior Engineer / Tai Po / Drainage Services Department (“DSD”) Mr. AU Wai-leung, Ricky Engineer / Maintenance 1D / Civil Engineering and Development Department (“CEDD”) Mr. LEE Yu-sau, Terence Senior Executive Officer (District Council) / TPDO / HAD Mr. CHAN Hoi-ming, Peter Senior Liaison Officer (1) / TPDO / HAD Applicant for absence Mr. LI Kwok-ying, BBS, MH, JP Vice-chairman Absent Mr. AU Chun-wah Member Mr. YAM Man-chuen Member Opening Remarks The Chairman welcomed the participants to the meeting of the Agriculture, Fisheries, Commerce, Industries, Tourism and Recreation Affairs Committee (“ATRC”) and announced the following: - 3 - (i) Mr. WU Tip-ming, Wilson, Senior Field Officer (Agricultural Extension) of the AFCD attended the meeting on behalf of Ms. WOO On-ting, Amy. (ii) Ms. LUK Pui-man, Senior Health Inspector (Cleansing / Pest Control) of the FEHD attended the meeting on behalf of Mr. CHAN Yiu-wa, Andrew. (iii) Mr. LI Kwok-ying, the Vice-chairman, was unable to attend this meeting due to sickness. He had submitted his notice of absence to the Secretariat. Pursuant to Order 51(1) of the TPDC Standing Orders (“Standing Orders”), the District Council (“DC”) would only give consent to a DC Member’s application for absence from meeting filed on grounds of sickness, jury service, attendance at another meeting or activity on behalf of the DC, attendance at a Legislative Council or Executive Council meeting, confinement or paternity leave. Pursuant to the above requirements, his application was approved. I. Confirmation of the minutes of the 1st meeting of the ATRC in 2018 on 12 January 2018 (TPDC Paper No. ATR 15/2018) 2. The Chairman reported that the Secretariat had not received any proposed amendments, and as no Members proposed any amendments at the meeting, the minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed. II. Report on the assistance provided for the agricultural industry by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and matters concerning the mariculture industry in January and February 2018 (TPDC Paper No. ATR 16/2018) (1) Assistance provided for the agricultural industry by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department 3. Mr. Wilson WU introduced Appendix I to the captioned paper and reported as follows: (i) FARMFEST was successfully held at Fa Hui Park in Mong Kok from 12 to 14 January 2018. (ii) Farmers operating farms of no less than 1 dau chung could apply for grant through the Farm Improvement Scheme set up under the Sustainable Agricultural Development Fund. The grant issued on a reimbursement basis would cover 80% of the cost of the farm tools purchased with a ceiling of $30,000. - 4 - 4. Mr. YAM Kai-bong, Francis enquired whether the AFCD would provide resources or organise technical seminars to assist farmers in floriculture. 5. Mr. Wilson WU responded that farmers might apply for low-interest loans with a ceiling of $130,000 from the AFCD for the purchase of flower bulbs. (2) Matters concerning the mariculture industry 6. Ms. TSOI Wing-yan, Connie introduced Appendix II to the captioned paper and reported as follows: (i) Between January and February 2018, the AFCD had inspected a total of 35 fish culture zones (“FCZs”) where 10 of which were located in Tai Po District. (ii) The AFCD did not receive any fish disease report from the FCZs in Tai Po District during the above period. (iii) The department received one red tide report in the waters of Tai Po District during the above period. The red tide was formed by the common and non-toxic Mesodinium Rubrum. The department had reminded the fish farmers concerned to pay attention to the condition of the fish rafts and pump in oxygen in a timely manner. The red tide had now subsided and no fish death report had been received during the period. (iv) There were a total of 120 accredited fish farms (“AFFs”) in Hong Kong at present, where 32 of them were located in Tai Po District. As at January 2018, the total sales volume of quality fish products (“QFPs”) had exceeded 467 000 catties. (v) The department had arranged for Members a visit to the Fish Processing Centre of the Fish Marketing Organization (“FMO”) in Aberdeen on 17 January 2018, and liaised with the fishmongers in Tai Po Hui Market afterwards to encourage the selling of the QFPs. The department would continue to follow up on the matters concerned. 7. Members’ comments and questions were as follows: (i) Dr. LAU Chee-sing would like to know how the total sales volume of the QFPs was calculated by the AFCD, and suggested the AFCD provide the sales volume for the two recent months in future. He also enquired whether the fish products processed by the Fish Processing Centre of the FMO were all frozen products, and if there were vendors selling the QFPs in Tai Po District. - 5 - (ii) Mr. Francis YAM said that the media had reported illegal fishing activities by Mainland fishing vessels in the waters of Tung Ping Chau and Tap Mun. He would like to know how the departments concerned would protect the rights of local fishermen. (iii) Mr. LAU Yung-wai opined that the AFCD should enhance the promotion and publicity of the Accredited Fish Farm Scheme (“AFFS”), update the relevant information regularly, and encourage more vendors to sell the QFPs. (iv) Mr. TANG Ming-tai, Patrick enquired whether the Yim Tin Tsai mentioned in the AFCD’s report referred to the waters west of Yim Tim Tsai. 8. Ms. Connie TSOI responded as follows: (i) The total sales volume of the QFPs referred to the total amount of the QFPs sold via the FMO since the implementation of the AFFS in 2005. The department would update the figure on a monthly basis and specify the sales volume of the two recent months in the next report. (ii) The majority of the QFPs processed by the FMO were frozen products, and fish farmers of the AFFs could opt for selling the QFPs themselves. (Post-meeting note: The QFPs processed by the FMO also included live fish.) (iii) There were vendors and large-scale supermarkets selling the QFPs in Tai Po District, and there were also fishmongers in Tai Po Hui Market producing and selling the QFPs themselves. (iv) The AFCD would patrol the Hong Kong waters on a regular basis and launch joint operations with the Marine Police and the Guangdong Provincial Marine and Fisheries Inspection Bureau to combat illegal fishing activities. Besides, the department would also contact the fishermen regularly for information exchange. (v) The AFCD would collaborate with the FMO to promote the AFFS on their official websites and mobile app. (vi) According to the current delineation of the FCZs, the waters west of Yim Tin Tsai had been delineated as the FCZ of Yim Tin Tsai. III. Report on the quantity of refuse collected from the Tolo Harbour in January and February 2018 by the Marine Department and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (TPDC Papers No. ATR 17/2018 and ATR 18/2018) - 6 - 9. Mr. CHAN Lap-wai reported that the MD collected 14.5 tonnes and 14.9 tonnes of floating refuse in the inner waters of Tai Po District in January and February 2018 respectively.