TRANSPORT
Participation in the International Maritime Organisation
Hong Kong is independently represented as an associate member of the International Maritime Organisation, and in accordance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong, this status will continue after 1997. The territory has made a considerable contribution to the International Maritime Organisation's work in the development of the Protocol to the 1977 International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels, international eyesight standards, and the Code of Safety for High Speed Craft.
Hong Kong's Shipping Register
The Hong Kong Shipping Register is administered by the Marine Department. It recognises the commercial realities of the shipping industry but, more importantly, reflects the government's commitment to the highest international standards of maritime safety and environmental protection. Its supporting legislation embodies international standards for vessel construction, equipment and manning, and is consistent with Hong Kong's obligations under International Maritime Organisation and International Labour Organisation conventions, including those on safety of life at sea, training and certifica-. tion of crew, and protection of the marine environment. Statutory surveys of Hong Kong-registered vessels are undertaken worldwide by the department's surveyors or authorised classification societies, to ensure that these standards are met.
The register had a total fleet of 597 vessels, amounting to 7.75 million gross registered tonnes (GRT) at the end of 1993. This represents an increase of 14 ships (2.4%) and 0.43 million GRT (5.87%) over 1992.
Shipping
Hong Kong is a prominent centre for ship-owning, ship-financing and ship-management. Most local shipowners and connected businesses are represented by the Hong Kong Shipowners Association, whose members control a significant percentage of the world's tonnage.
The association promotes and protects Hong Kong shipowners and ship-managers, plus the growing number of companies which support them.
At the end of 1993, its members' fleet stood at 1 294 ocean-going vessels totalling 60.5 million deadweight tonnes and 33.9 million GRT. The association is either a member of, or works closely with, all significant international maritime bodies to contribute to major developments in merchant shipping worldwide.
At the end of 1993, membership of the association comprised 85 ship-owning and ship-managing companies, 124 associate members and one honorary member (the Director of Marine). The associate members include the major banks, classification societies, maritime lawyers, average adjusters, ship agencies, ship brokers, shipbuilders, ship repairers, surveyors and insurers. This broad-based membership makes a particularly effective forum for liaison with the government and international bodies.
The combined fleet of the association's members was registered in 32 different countries in early 1993, chiefly Liberia and Panama followed by Hong Kong; total tonnages on those three registers were 20.8 million, 17.3 million and 8.5 million deadweight tonnes, respectively.
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