本文作者從新界后海灣一帶的商業魚塘的觀察，希望進一步了解香港濕地保育區及其社區發展的問題。其中包括香港－深圳一帶的基建發展而帶來的環境的污染，社會發展和經濟轉營帶來的社區人口老化，以至因中港貿易的開放令到中國大陸進口的廉價淡水魚類帶來的競爭，這些衝擊都引致傳統的淡水魚養殖業式微。淡水魚養殖業社區的發展，除了反映出新界西北部社會重大的變化外，亦反映了整個香港社會文化的改變。基於以上種種原因，本文旨在探討淡水魚養殖業作爲一項傳統行業，與元朗地區發展的關係，同時亦會探索后海灣漁業的歷史及發展，從而了解過去數十年香港淡水魚養殖業的興衰、以便使我們在日後對香港的社會文化和自然遺產的討論建下基礎。

Through an investigation of the commercial fishponds of the Inner Deep Bay area, the authors of this article hope to deepen our understanding of Hong Kong's wetlands and the development of the local community. This includes the economic development of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen region and the associated problems of environmental pollution, the aging of the resident population in the train of social development and economic transition, and competition from cheaply priced freshwater fish imported from the Chinese mainland in the wake of the further opening of trade between China and Hong Kong. These challenges have led to the weakening of the traditional freshwater fish raising industry. The development of the freshwater fish raising area, apart from reflecting the enormous social changes in the northwestern part of the New Territories, also reflects changes in Hong Kong society and culture as a whole. Because of all these factors, this article discusses freshwater fish cultivation as a traditional occupation in connection with the development of the Yuen Long area, and at the same time seeks to understand the rise and fall of the freshwater cultivation industry in Hong Kong over the last few decades through a discussion of the history and development of the fishing industry in Inner Deep Bay, and thereby establishes a basis for future discussions on Hong Kong's society and culture and natural inheritance.