December 22, 2015
A VISIT TO AQUACULTURE TECHNOLOGIES ASIA’S GROUPER FISH FARM
By Elaine Ng
On November 21, Slow Food Hong Kong visited Aquaculture Technologies Asia (ATA) to learn about their local production of sustainable seafood. Located in Lau Fau Shan in the New Territories, ATA has Hong Kong’s first large-scale indoor fish farm where the grouper is raised in a healthy and clean environment. ATA worked with the Kadoorie Agricultural Research Centre of The University of Hong Kong to develop their systems. In 2003, they introduced the Recirculation Aquaculture System for farming grouper.
Gareth Kwok, whose father founded ATA, took us on a private tour to observe how their pioneering technology works. Giant grouper of different sizes, ranging from 1 or 2 kilograms to 4 kilograms, were kept in huge pools of salted tap water, with currents stirred by the Recirculation Aquaculture System. We were also shown a video on the history of ATA. They evolved from importing fish with their own fleet in the Asia Pacific in the 1990s to becoming modern fish breeders and running a sustainable aquaculture business. The significant shift was largely motivated by ocean pollution and over-fishing, leading to unstable supplies and expensive wild fish.
We were impressed by ATA’s passion for producing clean, healthy and nutritious fish, and their philosophy of raising fish in a stress-free environment. More importantly, fish farming ensures a steady, unpolluted supply reducing strain on the environment.
The visit was rounded off with a sumptuous meal at a local restaurant with dishes of fresh giant grouper provided by ATA. The fish tasted tender and succulent whether steamed, deep fried or braised. The giant grouper belongs to the green “recommended” category in the WWF Hong Kong Seafood Guide. We thoroughly enjoyed our delicious, environmentally-friendly lunch!
