Over the last 70 years, the fishpond landscape in the Deep Bay area has changed dramatically due to socio-economic forces and development pressure. Operating within the Ramsar site’s Wise Use Zone, ponds used for raising food fish such as carp make important contributions to the local community and wildlife, in particular waterbirds.
The ‘wise use’ principle of wetland conservation is a way for both wildlife and humans to mutually benefit from the productivity of a wetland without compromising its vital ecological functions.
Covering around 900 ha, the traditional operation of fishponds in Deep Bay is a living demonstration of this principle as it benefits the local wildlife, particularly migratory waterbirds, and brings economic and cultural gains to the local pond-fish community and industry.
Decreasing profitability due to competition from mainland china, urban development and intensification of fishing practices which reduce feeding opportunities for wild birds are some of the ongoing threats facing fishpond farming.
Management Agreements and Public Private Partnerships (PPP) are widely recognized as two effective methods to manage fishponds.
Eco-fish
WWF-Hong Kong has long recognized the need to conserve commercial fishponds in and around Deep Bay and launched an initiative to form Management Agreements with fishpond owners to carry out fish farming practices that can benefit both the local fish farming community and wildlife in a sustainable manner.
WWF's Eco-fish Farming Scheme promotes the adoption of sustainable use and development in pond-fish farming practices. With a goal of achieving a triple win situation – creating new business opportunities for fishpond farmers, promoting wildlife conservation and offering healthy, eco-friendly fish for Hong Kong consumers.
WWF launched the Eco-fish Farming Scheme in 2006 to help fishpond farmers around Deep Bay to manage pond-fish farming in the traditional manner, and help bring the fish to local markets. This gives people a chance to enjoy local favourites, such as New Territories’ grey mullet among many others. Eco-fish has so far been successful for customers and fishermen alike, and hopes to draw more participants to encourage the sustainable development of the pond-fish farming industry.
WWF hopes to expand the Eco-fish scheme to extend to more ponds in order to facilitate a wider spread of sustainable fishing practices in the Deep Bay fishponds.
WWF's Eco-fish Farming Scheme promotes the adoption of sustainable use and development in pond-fish farming practices. With a goal of achieving a triple win situation – creating new business opportunities for fishpond farmers, promoting wildlife conservation and offering healthy, eco-friendly fish for Hong Kong consumers.
WWF launched the Eco-fish Farming Scheme in 2006 to help fishpond farmers around Deep Bay to manage pond-fish farming in the traditional manner, and help bring the fish to local markets. This gives people a chance to enjoy local favourites, such as New Territories’ grey mullet among many others. Eco-fish has so far been successful for customers and fishermen alike, and hopes to draw more participants to encourage the sustainable development of the pond-fish farming industry.
WWF hopes to expand the Eco-fish scheme to extend to more ponds in order to facilitate a wider spread of sustainable fishing practices in the Deep Bay fishponds.
