AFCD holds “Sail into Fun” Leisure Fisheries Expo (with photos)
​The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) is holding the "Sail into Fun" Leisure Fisheries Expo today and tomorrow (October 19 and 20) at Domain Mall in Yau Tong. The Expo showcases the diversity of local leisure fisheries activities through a series of workshops, guided tours, seminars, plays and sales booths featuring fisheries products.
Officiating at the opening ceremony, the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong, remarked that the "Sail into Fun" Leisure Fisheries Expo is one of the key promotional initiatives aiming at facilitating the development of local leisure fisheries, as outlined in the Blueprint for the Sustainable Development of Agriculture and Fisheries. Through participating in a variety of leisure fisheries activities, members of the public can experience and understand the heritage of fisheries' history and culture, as well as recognise Hong Kong's precious marine and cultural resources. This initiative aims at promoting the blue economy, facilitating the sustainable development of fisheries, and creating new opportunities for the development of both the fisheries and tourism industries.
The "Sail into Fun" Leisure Fisheries Expo brings together a range of unique leisure fisheries-related activities across Hong Kong, including workshops on fish net weaving, pearl and shell jewellery making, salted fish curing, Gyotaku printing and fish sketching. Additionally, there are Lei Yue Mun Sam Ka Tsuen guided tours and plays showcasing the culture of fishermen. The Expo also features a variety of unique seminars, including firsthand accounts from fishermen about the culture of a fishing village, experts' sharing on the history of local pearl cultivation and tips on selecting different fisheries products. These activities foster public appreciation of fisheries' history and culture through the imprints left by the fishermen and the fisheries industry of the past. There are also sales booths offering high-quality local fisheries products and fishery-related handicrafts for members of the public to purchase on-site.
The "Sail into Fun" Leisure Fisheries Expo is open from noon to 7pm. Members of the public are invited to join for free. No prior registration is required for the seminars and plays, while a limited number of seats for the workshops and the guided tours are available on-site for reservation. The event schedule can be found in the Annex.
Developing leisure fisheries is one of the key directions outlined in the Blueprint. Through integrating fisheries culture and ecological resources, the Government aims to assist the upgrade and transformation of the industry. The AFCD will continue to provide fishermen with training courses, exchanges and field visits related to leisure fisheries, and encourage the trade to launch pilot projects of developing leisure fisheries activities based on commercial modes of operation through funding support from the Sustainable Fisheries Development Fund. The AFCD will, at the same time, enhance promotion of local leisure fisheries, as well as explore suitable modes of development for leisure fisheries in Hong Kong and opportunities for jointly developing leisure fisheries in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
