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TRANSPORT
While continuing to provide the infrastructure for ship-owners and management activities expected of a major shipping centre, Hong Kong also experienced unprecedented growth of its registered fleet during the year. The registered tonnage during 1983 increased from four million to five million tonnes 25 per cent at a time when the world is facing a severe shipping recession.
The Marine Safety Division of the Marine Department is responsible for the survey and certification of these vessels and provides a plan approval service. Surveyors of the division travel world-wide to undertake statutory surveys of vessels intended for British registry in Hong Kong. Locally, surveyors are made available to any British or foreign ships for the issue of certificates under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) 1974 and other international maritime conventions. With some exceptions, vessels plying within the waters of Hong Kong need to be licensed under the Shipping and Port Control Ordinance. These, too, are inspected and issued with appropriate certificates. A convention of particular significance, which came into force internationally on October 1, 1983, is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) 1973 as modified by its 1978 protocol. The convention has been extended to Hong Kong, enabling the Marine Department to issue International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) certificates to Hong Kong-registered ships. As a result, the territory's ships are able to produce authoritative evidence of complying with the MARPOL Convention, thereby avoiding any delays or difficulties in foreign ports. Moreover, with visiting ships now being required to comply with MARPOL standards, the risk of pollution to Hong Kong waters should be minimised.
Pilotage in Hong Kong is not compulsory, but is considered advisable because of the density of traffic and the scale of harbour work continually undertaken. _Compulsory pilotage is being considered for introduction in future. The Director of Marine is the Pilotage Authority. All licensed pilots in Hong Kong are members of the Hong Kong Pilots' Association, which organises the provision of pilotage services as a commercial venture, the fees for which are governed by statute.
All the navigation buoys in Hong Kong waters are in uniformity with the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) Maritime Buoyage System 'A' and all fairway buoys are lit and fitted with radar reflectors. Other aids to navigation in the harbour and its approaches are constantly being improved to ensure greater safety and the programmed conversion to solar power of a number of light beacons is providing very successful. Marine Department signal stations at Waglan Island, Green Island and the Port Communications Centre are all connected by telephone and radio-telephone and, with the exception of Waglan Island, by teleprinter. The Marine Department operates a continuous VHF radio-telephone port operations service based on international maritime frequencies which gives comprehensive marine communications throughout the harbour and its approaches. Marine Department teleprinter and telex facilities are linked directly to users on a world-wide basis. There is also a continuously monitored disaster network which links the Marine Department's Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre with aircraft of the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force and military helicopters, Marine Police and Fire Services Department launches and other similar facilities. In the event of a vessel experiencing difficulties in the South China Sea within about 1 300 kilometres of Hong Kong, the Marine Department is able to act as a rescue co-ordinating centre.
A joint study with the Canadian Government commenced in June 1982 and continued during 1983 to analyse traffic flow patterns in the waters of Hong Kong and to define a vessel traffic management system. The system, if installed, would be used to maintain the