Deep Bay not suitable for edible raw oyster farming development due to pollution

Secretary for the Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan expressed reservations regarding the development of edible raw oyster farming in the Deep Bay area and the densely populated Lau Fau Shan due to concerns over pollution risks.

This comes after lawmaker Rebecca Chan Hoi-yan suggested that with many Hong Kong residents consuming imported oysters, there could be a shift towards locally farmed oysters in the future. 

With about 14,000 oyster rafts found at Deep Bay as of May, the government is undertaking a cleanup operation and around 4,000 have been removed.

Separately, the deputy director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Patrick Lai Chuen-chi said Tuesday that they are considering using drones to certify the oyster rafts at Deep Bay with QR codes for real-time monitoring and management.

He noted that oyster farmers were provided with unique numbered tags to attach to their rafts, and around 4,000 rafts remain unclaimed.