G.S. 84
RESTRICTED
*.
XCR(79) 165
Objection from the Fishermen's
2
Mutual Aid Association of Hong Kong (Annex C)
4
The stated grounds of objection are that the proposed use of the area of fore shore and sea bed for reprovisioning boatyards would further aggravate the problem of congestion within the Aldrich Bay Typhoon Shelter as the water space has already been reduced by half as a result of the completed phases of the reclamation and would also render the area of the typhoon shelter immediately off the proposed boatyards unsuitable for mooring due to the slipping activities emanating from the boatyards.
5
While the overall reclamation in Aldrich Bay would reduce the area of the typhoon shelter from 24. 8 hectares to 15.5 hectares, it is relevant to note that most of the area reclaimed (8.9 hectares) was formerly occupied by squatter boats giving a net loss of 0.4 hectares. Some 156 dwelling boats have so far been cleared from the typhoon shelter and 733 boat people rehoused in various temporary housing areas in Chai Wan. The Director of Marine advises that the space available within the typhoon shelter after the completion of the reclamation would be adequate for the purpose under normal weather conditions but that it would become really congested on a few annual occasions when traditional festivals are celebrated. The Director of Marine also advises that Aldrich Bay Typhoon Shelter is rarely filled to capacity during passage of typhoons, especially when higher local storm signals are hoisted. Many of the craft based in Aldrich Bay would seek shelter in the Kwun Tong Typhoon Shelter in the se circumstances because the sea bed in the shelter is filled with very fine loose mud which does not provide a very good holding ground for small vessels at anchor under such conditions and the western entrance to the shelter is exposed to strong north-westerly winds.
6
It is alleged by the objector that the proposed shipyards will sterilise a large area of the typhoon shelter that will otherwise be available for mooring purposes. This is not a valid argument as the repairing of the vessels will be carried out inside the shipyards and the only time when inconvenience might occur would be during the relatively short periods when vessels are being slipped. Furthermore, the larger vessels are serviced by the bigger yards at Ah Kung Ngam and Tsing Yi Island and therefore the inconvenience caused by the slipping of small vessels at Aldrich Bay is thereby reduced.
7
The Director of Marine having met with the objectors has come to the conclusion that the objection was lodged as a means of demonstrating the concern at the current overall shortage of typhoon
RESTRICTED