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SATURDAY, JULY 12, 1980
PLEASURE BOATS ON THE INCREASE
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THE NUMBER OF LICENSED PLEASURE CRAFT HAS INCREASED BY 31.2 PER CENT DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS COMPARED WITH AN AVERAGE ANNUAL TEN PER CENT INCREASE FOR THE PRECEDING FIVE YEARS, ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED TODAY BY THE MARINE DEPARTMENT.
THE TALLY ROSE FROM 2 841 IN DECEMBER 1977 TO 3 727 IN DECEMBER 1979.
TRADE STATISTICS SHOW THAT HONG KONG IMPORTED MORE THAN 300 PLEASURE CRAFT VALUED AT $54.5 MILLION IN 1979.
AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VESSELS IN HONG KONG, INCLUDING COMMERCIAL CRAFT, UNLICENSED DWELLING BOATS, PLEASURE CRAFT AND GOVERNMENT CRAFT, WAS 23 626 AN INCREASE OF 2.4 PER CENT OVER 1977.
FIGURES INDICATE A SHIFT IN RECENT YEARS TO THE USE OF LARGER TONNAGE VESSELS.
SIGNIFICANT INCREASES WERE SEEN IN THE NUMBER OF CARGO LIGHTERS AND BARGES OVER 300 TONS (UP 46.7 PER CENT), AND FISHING BOATS OF 60-300 TONS (UP 37 PER CENT). FISHING BOATS UNDER 60 TONS DECREASED BY 11.2 PER CENT.
LAST YEAR, SOME 1 356 WRECKS AND ABANDONED CRAFT WERE DEMOLISHED. THESE VESSELS, WHICH INCLUDED CRAFT NOT LICENSED IN HONG KONG, WERE CONFISCATED BY THE POLICE AND IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES MOSTLY DURING ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION OPERATIONS,
THE NUMBER OF SURRENDERED UNLICENSED DWELLING BOATS AND HULKS DROPPED FROM 2 142 IN 1977 TO 2 047 IN 1979.
AT PRESENT THERE ARE 24 TYPHOON SHELTERS AND SHELTERED ANCHORAGES, REPRESENTING A TOTAL OF 352.07 HECTARES OF MOORING SPACES, MAINLY IN THE HARBOUR AND WESTERN REGION.
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