Fish market overhaul early next year

Market group to take over Aberdeen stalls sooner than expected after cholera find

The wholesale fish market at the Aberdeen promenade will come under government-supervised management by early next year in an effort to improve hygiene, a government spokeswoman said yesterday.

The market, which supplies 40 per cent of Hong Kong's fish, will be managed by the Fish Marketing Organisation, which is supervised by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. Apart from agreeing to have the market run by the organisation, the department said the fish traders also promised to upgrade their water filtration systems. Those who don't have such systems promised to install them.

The announcements come after one stall selling live fish in the public car park at Aberdeen promenade was found to have contagious cholera bacteria in a water sample taken from its fish tank.

Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Thomas Chan Chun-yuen met representatives of 18 fish stall operators on Thursday, during which the traders promised to improve hygiene and safety standards.

The department spokeswoman said the market had been unregulated for years 'for historical reasons' but that the measures were necessary to improve hygiene and protect consumers.

'We are following up what we have agreed on at the meeting,' she said.