香港最大规模、市场占有率一度达七成的香港仔鱼市场，是香港仔的重要地标，也是m88推展“跃动港岛南”计划重点活化的项目。然而，香港仔鱼市场长期被恶势力操控，缺少公平竞争的环境，既影响栏商收入，也损害消费者利益。竞争事务委员会和警务处等六大部门早前联手到鱼市场调查，目前已取得重大进展。市民期待有关部门有法必依，重槌出击，还市场以公平竞争的环境，还消费者以公道。香港良政善治不会一夜间实现，从民生着手、从关心市民的菜篮子开始，是正确的方向。
m88记者多月来深入香港仔鱼市场，调查香港仔鱼市场“地下运作”，发现其违反竞争条例的两大主要手段。
首先是垄断海产售价。譬如规定“沙巴趸”一律65元1斤，称其为“公价”。然而，在长沙湾等其他鱼市场，并没有所谓“公价”之说。事实上，同样的水产，因为来源地点不同、质量不同、季节不同，来货成本都不一样；再说栏商所处位置有异，营销策略也不尽相同，这些都会影响售价，这正是市场竞争的应有之义。所谓鱼市场有“公价”这一说，本身就有合谋定价的嫌疑，违反公平竞争大原则。
其次是垄断供货渠道。每日凌晨3点至4点，及傍晚4点至6点，运输海产的货车抵达鱼市场后，整齐排列，有人手持列表单，有人守在货车尾板处，鱼栏员工依次取货时，有人根据货品种类记录。虽然现场没有任何收钱动作，但在此经营的栏商指出，其后会有人按取货纪录收钱，每月还根据每档生意额抽佣一成。如此一来，不费吹灰之力，每月光靠收“陀地”就有数百万元进账。
香港仔鱼市场每年有约10亿元生意额，因此引起恶势力的垂涎。十多年前，已有恶势力染指鱼市场，通过控制供货渠道来非法抽佣，最初是控制沙蚬，接着是鲍鱼、元贝、象拔蚌等海产，最后是鱼类，恶势力已渗透鱼市场每个角落。譬如鲍鱼来货价80元一斤，经恶势力批发价变成90至100元一斤。有栏商不愿就范，通过其他渠道取货，结果遭到报复，不是海产被扔到海里，就是海产莫名死亡。栏商无力反抗，恶势力的手伸得越来越长，市场垄断问题愈演愈烈。
凡是“三不管”的地方，必定会成为罪恶的渊薮。香港仔鱼市场暗湧处处，问题多年累积，越来越严重。恶势力垄断市场是对法治的公然挑战，如果m88不加以整治，不仅民生受影响，也会损害香港自由市场的声誉。令人欣慰的是，被盘剥的商户不再哑忍，早前已向竞争事务委员会举报；竞争事务委员会早前联合警方等六大部门，浩浩荡荡进入鱼市场调查。竞委会日前答复m88记者查询时表示，个案已提升至调查阶段，现阶段不会评论。我们希望有关部门搜集到足够证据后，果断行动，严格执法。
鱼市场有恶势力盘踞不是新问题，或许有些人司空见惯，习非成是。然而，在“爱国者治港”的新时代，政治领域已经拨乱反正，社会基本上恢复安宁，在经济和民生领域一样要正本清源，将恶势力连根拔起。根据“跃动港岛南”绘就的蓝图，香港仔鱼市场将成为m88活化的重点项目，未来将打造成“港版筑地”，成为旅游胜地。洒扫庭院，将角落里的杂草垃圾清理干净，才能开门迎接八方来客。
Fair competition must be upheld and not be jeopardised by sinister forces
Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market, Hong Kong's largest of the kind in size with its market share once reaching 70 per cent, is an important landmark in Aberdeen and also a key project for invigoration in the government's Invigorating Island South initiative. Nevertheless, Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market has long been manipulated by sinister forces and thus there is a lack of a fair competition environment, which not only negatively affects the incomes of fishmongers but also hurts the interests of consumers. In a joint operation, six government departments including the Competition Committee and Police Force earlier kicked off an investigation in the Aberdeen fish market. Major progresses have been made so far. The public is looking forward to it that authorities concerned will ensure laws are strictly enforced to deal a heavy blow to law breakers, so as to restore a fair competition environment in the market and bring back fairness to consumers. While good governance in Hong Kong cannot be achieved overnight, it is on the right track to start with problems concerning people's livelihood, with caring about citizens' "shopping baskets".
In the past several months, Ta Kung Pao reporters have conducted an in-depth investigation into the "underground operation" of the Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market, and discovered that there are two major tricks to breach the Competition Ordinance.
The first is to monopolise the pricing of seafood products. For instance, the price for Sabah grouper is set at $65 per catty (gan) across the board, which is labeled as "public price". However, at the Cheung Sha Wan and other fish market, there is no such saying as a "public price". As a matter of fact, import prices are different for the same kind of seafood product from different places, of different qualities or in different seasons. Moreover, pricing is also affected by the different locations of fish stalls and different business operation strategies of fishmongers. This is exactly what is meant by market competition. The saying itself that there are "public prices" itself is suspected of price-fixing and violating the major principle of fair competition.
The second is to monopolise supply channels. At 3:00 to 4:00 a.m. and 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. every day, the cargo trucks carrying seafood products would be parked neatly in lines after arriving in the market. Then there would come some individuals carrying certain forms and some others standing guard at the tailgates of the trucks. When workers of a fish stall come to pick up their goods, someone would write down what they take. There is no money changing hands on the spot. But according to owners of some fish stalls operating there, some people would come to them afterwards to collect money and each month a 10 per cent "commission" would be taken from each stall according to its business turnover. In this way, several million dollars would be pocketed in a breeze each month from collecting "protection fees" alone.
Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market's annual business turnover amounts to about $1 billion, and as such is coveted by sinister forces. More than a decade ago, some sinister forces already had got a hand in this fish market, illegally charging "commissions" through controlling supply channels. They did this starting with clam, then extending to other kinds of seafood such as abalone, scallop and elephant trunk clam, and finally to fish. Sinister forces now have infiltrated into each corner of the fish market. For instance, the import price of abalone is $80 per catty but the wholesale price jumps to $90-100 per catty after sinister forces' manipulation. Some fishmongers were retaliated who had refused to give in and obtained goods through other channels. Their seafood products were either thrown into the sea or died inexplicably. As fishmongers are powerless to resist, the sinister forces stretch their hands farther and farther. As a result, the problem of market monopolisation increasingly intensifies.
Any place that is seemingly under nobody's jurisdiction is bound to become a cesspool of vice. In Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market, there are undercurrents everywhere with problems keeping piling up over the years and becoming increasingly serious. Sinister forces' monopolisation of the fish market pose an open challenge to the rule of law. If the government fails to deal with it, not only people's livelihood would be affected but Hong Kong's reputation as a free market would also be damaged. Thankfully, some exploited fishmongers could no longer suffer in silence and had reported their cases to the Competition Committee earlier. Days ago, a joint task force of the Commission and other five government department including the Police Force marched with great strength and vigour into the fish market to conduct an investigation. In reply to an enquiry by Ta Kung Pao, the Competition Committee said it declined to make any comment at this stage since the cases were right under investigation. We hope that authorities concerned will take resolute actions to strictly enforce the law after sufficient evidence is collected.
Since it is not a new problem that sinister forces are entrenched in the fish market, perhaps some people may have grown accustomed to it and accept what is wrong as right. However, in a new era of "patriots governing Hong Kong", things have been set right in political domains and peace basically restored in society. Now in economic and people's livelihood domains, matters should also be clarified and things set right, and sinister forces should be rooted out. According to the blueprint of the government's Invigorating Island South initiative, Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market will be a key project of invigoration and turned into " Hong Kong-version Tsukiji " in future to become a tourist attraction. Only when the courtyard is swept clean with weeds and garbage in corners removed, can the door be opened to welcome guests from everywhere.
