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some 16 per cent of which is registered with the Port of Hong Kong. The association is either a member of or works closely with all significant international maritime bodies to contribute and share in major developments concerning merchant shipping worldwide. Its membership exceeds 150 local companies which employ over 20 000 persons.
Hong Kong is a British port of registry and the total tonnage of shipping registered in the territory stood at 7.4 million gross registered tons last year. The regulatory administration of ships registered in Hong Kong is the responsibility of the Shipping Division of the Marine Department, that is, in respect of maritime control, safety standards and interna- tional certification to facilitate the worldwide operation of Hong Kong registered shipping. Statutory surveys of vessels intended for Hong Kong register are undertaken worldwide by surveyors of the division under various international conventions. The division also provides a plan approval and survey service locally, and surveyors are made available to United Kingdom and 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. A number of such international certificates were issued to foreign flag ships at the request of foreign governments.
Additionally, one of the world's largest fleets of high-technology fast passenger boats (dynamically-supported craft comprising jetfoils, hydrofoils, side-wall hovercraft and jetcats) operates from Hong Kong under the survey and certification of the Shipping Division. 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 certificates.
Hong Kong registered ships maintain a high standard of safety in compliance with the SOLAS convention and its amendments for improved safety measures. This convention is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties relating to mari- time safety.
A convention of particular significance which is in force internationally and observed by Hong Kong registered vessels, is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) 1973 as modified by its 1978 Protocol. Hong Kong registered vessels comply with the requirements of the convention and are issued with International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) certificates. As a result, Hong Kong ships are now able to produce authoritative evidence of compliance with MARPOL, thereby making a positive contribution to the environmental protection of the sea. Moreover, as visiting ships are required to comply with MARPOL standards, the risk of pollution to Hong Kong waters has been reduced.
Ships registered in Hong Kong at present adopt, in all key aspects, the same standards of construction, safety, manning and merchant shipping legislation as those registered in the United Kingdom. As a British port of registry, Hong Kong has relied almost entirely on the Department of Transport of the United Kingdom for the determination of shipping policy in respect of Hong Kong and for the formulation and implementation of international conventions, including those drawn up by the International Maritime Organisation. In the administration of Hong Kong registered ships, the Marine Department has relied largely on the extension of United Kingdom legislation to Hong Kong.
This status cannot continue beyond 1997. The Sino-British Joint Declaration provides that the future Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may continue to maintain a shipping register under its own legislation. It is therefore necessary to modify existing laws and administration systems applicable to Hong Kong, concerning registration and merchant shipping, to put them into a form which can continue to exist under British