Over the past five years, Lin Zilong has transitioned from haute couture to haute cuisine.
Beginning in the early 2000s, Lin, who goes by the anglicized name Alex Lam, carved out a career as a hair and make-up stylist serving some of Hong Kong’s biggest celebrities, including television and movie stars. In 2016, he moved into designing wedding and evening gowns at Monique and Co., with famous clients including author Lu Huiyi and the princess of Bhutan.
But somewhere along the way, Lam’s interest turned to sustainable food production. Noting Hong Kong’s heavy reliance on mainland China for food, Lam said he felt a patriotic obligation to do more to contribute to Hong Kong’s self-reliance, and also a moral pull to do so in a sustainable way.
One day, while out on a water skiing trip, he chanced upon aquaculture rafts in Sai Kung’s Three Fathoms Cove, which he thought would serve as great moorings for his ski boat. He bought several, and slowly, he began to formulate an idea of becoming a fish farmer.
“It’s something like 90 to 96 percent of Hong Kong’s food comes from mainland China. And China is not the most reliable source of food,” Lam said. “At the same time, I wanted to raise fish that were good food, and a good food choice – local, no chemicals, ethically raised.”
Lam said after years of researching aquaculture in his free time, including classes provided by the Hong Kong Fisheries and Conservation Department, he successfully grew his first marketable fish.
