The WWF is stepping up its campaign for a summer fishing moratorium in Hong Kong in the face of suggestions that the idea might be abandoned because of opposition from trawler crews.
Patsy Wong Pat-shun, senior fishing officer at the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, said last week the proposed two-month moratorium might be ditched to win support for a fishing licensing system.
WWF chief executive officer Eric Bohm said: 'I am boiling mad. I can understand they have a problem convincing the fishing community but if they don't take any action you can kiss the industry goodbye.
'The fish that are being caught now in Hong Kong waters are used by fish farms for fish fry. Nothing is getting onto the plate.
'We had a Chinese New Year dinner with the Hoi Ha Wan villagers recently. They used to go out fishing and they would drop the line and, bingo, you would have supper. That has all disappeared.'
Mr Bohm said the government should have been able to present a convincing economic argument to the fishing community showing the benefits of a moratorium on fishing stocks.
