Fisheries Research in Hong Kong

Abstract

AT the recent meeting of the British Association in Cambridge, the president of Section D (Zoology), in a highly important address, directed attention to the fact that the British Empire as a whole is regrettably deficient in fisheries research and administration. This is especially true of British territories in the Far East. In consequence, highly skilled and intensely industrious Japanese fishermen have in recent years been exploiting practically all the great fishing grounds of the Pacific region and landing large quantities of fish at most of the principal fish-markets—tooth British and foreign—along the coasts of China, India, Philippines, Malaya and Dutch East Indies. It is highly gratifying, therefore, to note that the University of Hong Kong recently has published a small handbook (“Common Marine Food Fishes at Hong Kong”. By G. A. C. Herklots and S. Y. Lin. Pp. 75. Hong Kong: G. A. C. Herklots, The University, n.d. n.p.) written in both English and Chinese, describing forty of the commonest food fishes landed at Hong Kong fish-markets. Each fish has been given its scientific name, Chinese name or names, and an English name—in some instances specially coined for this book. This is followed by a brief but useful description accompanied by a black-and-white illustration, with notes on distribution, seasonal abundance, price and food value. At the end of the book are set out twelve Chinese and seventeen European recipes for the cooking of fish dishes. As a preliminary contribution to our knowledge of the food fishes of Hong Kong this book is most valuable. It is greatly to be hoped, however, that it merely heralds the inauguration of a much more far-reaching and systematic study of the marine resources of the Hong Kong region, to be undertaken by or under the auspices of the University; or, better still, by a specially built and properly equipped fisheries research laboratory.