The Hong Kong Fishing Industry

HF: Capture and aquaculture fisheries make an important contribution to Hong Kong by maintaining a steady supply of fresh fish to local consumers. The total capture fisheries and marine fish culture production accounts for about 20 per cent of seafood consumed in Hong Kong, while pond fish farmers produce about four per cent of the freshwater fish eaten.

Hong Kong’s fishing fleet comprises about 5,050 vessels, almost all of which are mechanised. About 80 per cent of the local fishing vessels are sampans using multiple fishing gears and other smaller non-trawler vessels (such as gill netters, long liners, purse seiners, etc.) which operate mainly in the coastal waters around Hong Kong.

The remaining 20 per cent of the vessels are trawlers and other larger non-trawlers generally operating in the adjacent waters of the South China Sea. In 2004, the estimated production was about 92,300 tonnes, valued at $2.4 billion.

Major species of fish catch include hairtail, threadfin bream, squid, mullet and sardine.

Aquaculture Fisheries: Fish ponds in use total 1,119 hectares and are located mainly in the northwestern New Territories. The majority of fish farms are engaged in carp polyculture (bighead carp, silver carp, common carp and grass carp) in combination with tilapia or grey mullet.  Other cultured species include jade perch, seabreams and spotted scat. Total fish pond production in 2024 amounted to 1,349 tonnes, valued at $37 million.

912 licensees are engaged in marine fish culture in the 28 fish culture zones designated under the Marine Fish Culture Ordinance. Com cultured include green grouper, hybrid grouper, Russell’s snapper, mangrove snapper, cobia and pompano. Total marine fish culture production in 2024 amounted to 626 tonnes, valued at $66 million. (1)

Aberdeen floating village

The Aberdeen Floating Village is a fishing port in Aberdeen, Hong Kong, within the Southern District of Hong Kong. The fishing port contains approximately 600 junks. The total population of the village is around 6,000.

History

Since the 19th century, Aberdeen has been an important fishing port in Hong Kong. It is the only fishing port in Hong Kong in the Southern District of Hong Kong, with over one-third of the fish caught in Hong Kong processed in Aberdeen port. Prior to the 1950s, saltwater fish were primarily sold at Aberdeen.

In the 1990s and 2000s, the population of the Aberdeen Floating Village community had decreased due to the rapid development of fisheries in the Guangdong Province, as well as the increase in operating costs of the fishing industry in Hong Kong. The total population of boat dwellers in Hong Kong was estimated at 2,000 in 1841, 150,000 in 1963 and 40,000 in 1982.

The majority of people with boats do not permanently reside of their boats but rather use them to fish during the day. Most of the descendants of the floating people have relocated to land based accommodation.

During the Fishing Moratorium Period (June and July) more than 1,000 fishing vessels are anchored at the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter.

Fishing

Boats are navigated to surrounding areas to catch fish, which is then handed over to the Fish Marketing Organization (F.M.O.) for wholesaling, direct sale to wet markets, or directly to seafood restaurants. Trawling is a common method used by fishers in the South China Sea and East China Sea. The method used specifically depends on the intended type of fish.

One method, gill-netting, has a fishing boat pulling a long net from behind. Another technique, seine fishing, has fishers place a circular net into the sea when they see a school of fish swim by. Long-lining consists of the fishing boat pulling a string, tagged with smaller fish, to attract and lure other fish.

To shrimp, fishers use shrimp trawling, during which they throw small bags into the sea. Shrimp  trawlers are used to catch shrimp using the shrimp-trawling method but account for a small portion of trawlers in Hong Kong. Currently, the most common trawlers in Hong Kong are the Hang Trawlers, Sten Trawlers, Purse Seiners, and Gill-Netters. All of these local fishing boat junks were mechanized after the Pacific War. h marketing services and fish retailers in the village. The wholesale fish markets operated by F.M.O. are located along the Aberdeen Promenade.(2)

Sources:

1. Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department, January 2025.
2. Wikipedia

This article was first posted on 19th May 2025

Related Indhhk articles:

1. Pearl Fishing in Hong Kong
2. Great South Fishing Industries
3. ”They Fatten Fish to Feed Hong Kong”
4. The Fresh Water Fish Farming Industry of the New Territories
5. The Bionomics of Pondfish Culture in the New Territories mid 1950s