Resilience of an inshore fishing population in Hong Kong: Paradox and potential for sustainable fishery policy

The existence and dilemmas of metropolitan fisheries have been overlooked in research on the resilience of
coastal marine socio-ecological systems. Yet, they could produce a model of sustainable fisheries with significant
global impact. To fill that research gap, this study investigates an inshore fishery population that has sustained
itself within Hong Kong's rapid urban development, seeking to understand the reasons for its survival. The results
indicate that the values of self-reliance and entrepreneurialism exacted by fishing enabled the fishers to make
necessary adaptations and reposition themselves in mariculture and service industries. These new ventures,
while retaining marine-based livelihoods, draw the fishers away from fishing activities. The paradox of this
value-based resilience of a metropolitan fishery is discussed for its potential to generate policies to strengthen
linkages among the fishers’ business activities and to create a sustainable fishery model useful in other contexts.