TRANSPORT
Mooring Buoys
The Marine Department provides and maintains 59 mooring buoys in the harbour area for ships to work cargo. Of these, 33 are class 'A' buoys for vessels up to 183 metres in length with another 26 class 'B' buoys for vessels up to 137 metres in length. Booking of these mooring buoys may be made through the Vessel Traffic Centre.
Bunkering
Bunkering is readily available at commercial wharves and oil terminals or from a large fleet of private bunkering barges. Fresh water may also be provided alongside berths or from a private fleet of water boats.
Ship Repair and Dry-Docking
The port has extensive facilities for repairing, dry-docking and slipping all types of vessels of up to 150 000 dead-weight tonnes. Local shipyards are able to build and maintain workboats and pleasure vessels. The Marine Department provides a free inspection and advice service to promote safe working practices in ship-repairing, ship-breaking and cargo-handling afloat.
Reception of Marine Wastes
The Marine Department is responsible for cleanliness in the harbour. The department has modernised its fleet, and in 1999 deployed a total of 70 vessels to carry out a marine refuse scavenging service in the harbour, typhoon shelters and some remote areas. The department also collects refuse from local vessels, and from sea-going vessels when they visit Hong Kong. Oily and chemical wastes from ships are collected by registered contractors and delivered to the Chemical Treatment Centre on Tsing Yi Island.
Combating Oil Pollution in the Port
The Marine Department has reviewed its oil pollution contingency plan and is formulating a strategic plan. The new plan and equipment will give a further boost to the department's capability in dealing with oil spills.
An information exchange network has been set up with neighbouring ports such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Macau. This enables information on a major oil spill incident occurring in any one of these ports to be immediately disseminated to the others. Regular meetings are held with officials of these neighbouring ports to exchange views and enhance communications.
Also, a working group consisting of representatives from neighbouring ports. including Guangzhou, Macau, Shenzhen and Zhuhai has been established. Its main objective is to develop a regional plan to combat large-scale oil pollution in the region.
Each year, the Pollution Control Unit organises and co-ordinates a large-scale oil spill cleaning operation exercise in which other government departments and local oil companies take part.
Local Craft
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In 1999, 13 100 local craft including passenger vessels, cargo vessels, fishing vessels and pleasure vessels were licensed in Hong Kong to provide a variety of efficient and
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