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SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 1978
POPULARITY OF HONG KONG SHIPPING REGISTRY GROWING
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A TOTAL OF 20 OCEAN-GOING VESSELS WERE REGISTERED IN HONG KONG LAST YEAR, BOOSTING THE TOTAL REGISTER TONNAGE OF OUR PORT BY MORE THAN 55 PER CENT TO 515,198 TOVS.
THE NUMBER OF SHIPS ENTERED IN THE REGISTRY, INCLUDING FIVE VESSELS WHICH WERE TRANSFERRED FROM LONDON, IS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE COMPARED WITH ONLY SIX SHIPS IN 1976.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE MARINE DEPARTMENT SAID THIS KEEN DEMAND FOR BRITISH REGISTRY OF OCEAN-GOING VESSELS IN HONG KONG WAS THE RESULT OF CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH AFFECTED INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING.
DURING
HE SAID THIS HAD ALSO LED THE DEPARTMENT'S SHIP SAFETY DIVISION TO EXPERIENCE AN EXCEPTIONALLY BUSY YEAR IN 1977. THE YEAR SURVEYORS OF THE DIVISION SPENT 313 SURVEYOR-DAYS CONDUCTING REGISTRY SURVEYS IN SINGAPORE, SOUTH KOREA, JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES COMPARED WITH A MEŘE 69 SURVEYOR-DAYS IN 1976.
ANOTHER 1,882 SURVEYOR-DAYS WERE SPENT ON NEWLY CONSTRUCTED, RECONSTRUCTED VESSELS AND GOVERNMENT CRAFT LAST YEAR, COMPARED WITH 831 SURVEYOR-DAYS IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
HE ADDED THAT THE NUMBER OF INSPECTOR-DAYS USED ON INSPECTING LOCAL CRAFT INCLUDING PASSENGER LAUNCHES, FERRIES, MARINE RESTAURANTS, MECHANISED JUNKS AND WATER BOATS SLIGHTLY DROPPED FROM 1976'S 5,961 TO LAST YEAR'S 5,496.
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