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Mainland tourists are the major consumers of the endangered Napoleon wrasse  at seafood restaurants in the city.

Mr Ng, a co-owner  of Chuen Kee Seafood Restaurant  in Sai Kung,  said that at HK$720 per catty, the fish was too expensive for most Hong Kong diners.  But the  visitors were happy to order it because it was still much cheaper than on the mainland.

'Most of our customers who order this fish are mainlanders, as the price of Napoleon wrasse is about HK$3,000 per catty across the border due to heavy import tax,' he said. 'Locals find the fish too expensive and prefer eating other kinds.'

Mr Ng also said the Indonesian government imposed a 150 fish quota for every export on all Indonesian fishing boats catching Napoleon wrasse.

Wholesalers and restaurants have to obtain a licence to buy and keep the fish in tanks, and are required to register with the  Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.   The wholesale price of Napoleon wrasse is about HK$600 per catty. Mr Ng said  his restaurant  bought about 100 a month.

He said  fish farmers could not breed them here because they needed a water temperature of between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius.

'Winter in Hong Kong is too cold.  So,  we can only rely on imports from Indonesia. Though governments in Southeast Asia have made an effort to conserve and protect Napoleon wrasse, overfishing is a serious problem there,' he said.

'I do not like what the fishermen are doing, but it is up to the government to impose stricter control over the trade. I hope the licensing system can deter overfishing.'

He took some comfort that most Indonesian exporters preferred stocking big Napoleon wrasse  as this made more money. It  allowed smaller fish  to  reproduce.

'They cannot make much money out of a small fish considering the fees they have to pay and it is not worthwhile to go through all the paperwork  just for a tiny little fish.'

Seafood lover Dick Chan said he never ordered Napoleon wrasse as it was too expensive. 'If I order a big fish, the amount of money might be enough to cover my rent!  But even if I order a small one, I think I am not being friendly to the endangered species. So, I won't eat it.'



Mainlanders chief consumers of endangered Napoleon wrasse