Hongkongers will soon get a taste of the city's fisheries and farming culture as the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) rolls out eight experimental tours next month.
Organized with local fish farms and farms, the eight tours will take in places like Pak Nai fish ponds, Ho Pui Reservoir, Kat O and Yan Chau Tong Marine Park as part of the AFCD's push for diversified development.
Priced at HK$300 per person, each tour takes 20 to 25 participants and offers hands-on activites, seafood meals, local shopping and geological exploration.
Among them is a tour co-organized with Water Sky Leisure Fishing Club under the "Fish enJoy" Scheme, offering a richer fisheries experience at the Yim Tin Tsai East fish raft in Tai Po.
Guides will lead tours of the raft, demonstrate fish cage weaving and teach hand-line fishing. Participants will also enjoy a seafood lunch, along with an introduction to geopark attractions and Tolo Harbour's geological features.
Since joining the "Fish enJoy" scheme two years ago, the club has been allowed to sell self-farmed fish products and prepare fireless-cooked dishes featuring its own catch.
The fish raft operator, To, said on-site cooking of customers' own catch has boosted business by 10 to 20 percent and drawn more families, mainland tourists and group visitors.
He hopes the guided tours will further raise awareness and income, calling on the government to promote more "Fish enJoy" experiences.
AFCD Senior Fisheries Officer Joanne Lee On-on said the eight tours built on two leisure fisheries tours last year, with more diverse itineraries covering farming, geoparks and country parks managed by the department.
With a wide-array of immersive experience across fisheries and farming trades, she wishes the sustainable development of the sector could be promoted through word of mouth from the participants.
The tours were offered at about half market price, with the department subsidizing the remaining tens of thousands of dollars in costs, she added.
Noting that leisure fisheries are still at an early stage of development, Lee said the department will step up promotion to drive demand and encourage fishermen to transition.
“Currently, there are 76 eligible fish farms enrolled in the "Fish enJoy" Scheme, while another 116 farms have joined the "Agri enJoy" Scheme.”
Turning to another tour offering an immersive fisherman experience aboard a vessel, she said the department had focused on modifying the vessel and conducting safety tests.
Lee noted that the department is seeking a license exemption from the Marine Department to allow passengers on board next month.
Through first-hand experience of fishing operations, using dedicated tools and sampling fresh catch, participants can gain deeper insight into the city's fishing industry — a form of cultural inheritance, she added.
Related experience tours will continue over the next year, Lee confirmed, with plans to extend the "Fish enJoy" scheme to fishing vessels for passenger experiences.
