Daily operation of fishponds

"Drain-down," "Sunbathing of Pond" and "Profiling" are important steps in the daily operation of fishponds and are key management practices for enhancing the ecological value of fishponds. Under the Countryside Conservation Funding Scheme, the project organisation provides subsidies to fishpond operators to regularly carry out the above tasks. "Drain-down" refers to pumping the pond water away from the ponds. This creates shallow water fishponds that attract waterbirds to catch fish of lower economic value and invertebrates. Typically, the time when the most waterbirds feed in the pond is when the water level of the fishpond is lowered. "Sunbathing of pond" refers to the process where fishpond operators drain the water from the fishpond during the dry season, allowing the sun to naturally sterilise the pond for a period. If necessary, an appropriate amount of limestone powder is applied to adjust the pH level. They also use this opportunity to remove trash fish and shrimp at the bottom of the pond that have little or even harmful economic value. In the vast fishpond areas in the northwest New Territories, this practice also benefits migratory birds. The shallow water or dry bottom fishponds provide a feeding ground for the birds. "Profiling" refers to using a bulldozer to push the mud at the bottom of the pond onto the pond banks, maintaining an appropriate slope for the pond banks, which facilitates waterbirds to perch and forage, thereby enhancing the ecological value of the fishpond.