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HONG KONG HARBOUR AMONG BUSIEST AND SAFEST IN THE WORLD
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HONG KONG HARBOUR IS ONE OF THE BUSIEST AND SAFEST IN THE WORLD AND RANKS WITH SAN FRANCISCO AND RIO DE JANEIRO AMONG THE THREE BEST NATURAL HARBOURS.
LAST YEAR 10 667 OCEAN-GOING VESSELS, TOTALLING 60 MILLION TONS, AND JUST OVER 18 000 LOCALLY-LICENSED CRAFT PLIED THE WATERS OF HONG KONG.
ADDITIONALLY RIVER TRADE CRAFT BROUGHT IN FROM CHINA
3.1 MILLION TONNES OF CARGO - MAINLY FOODSTUFFS FOR LOCAL CONSUMPTION - AND CARRIED OUT JUST OVER 500 000 TONNES OF MOSTLY CONSUMER GOODS.
THE VOLUME OF CONTAINER THROUGHPUT INCREASED BY 6.5 PER CENT TO 1.56 MILLION TEU'S (TWENTY EQUIVALENT UNITS) OR UP TO 10.8 MILLION TONNES.
TOTAL CARGO CARRIED BY VESSELS OF ALL TYPES WAS 32 MILLION TONNES, AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 1.3 MILLION TONNES OVER THE PRECEDING YEAR OR UP BY 4.2 PER CENT.
THE MARINE DEPARTMENT HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ENSURING THE SMOOTH FLOW OF ALL VESSELS IN AND OUT OF HONG KONG HARBOUR.
ITS NERVE CENTRE IS THE PORT CONTROL AND COMMUNICATION CENTRE, WHICH DOUBLES AS A SEARCH AND RESCUE CO-ORDINATION CENTRE FOR VESSELS AND AIRCRAFT IN DISTRESS IN HONG KONG TERRITORIAL WATERS AND A LARGE PART OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.
THE CENTRE ALSO ALERTS OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS THE PORT HEALTH OFFICE AND THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT ON THE ARRIVAL OF VESSELS THAT MIGHT REQUIRE THE IR ATTENTION.
INCOMING OCEAN-GOING VESSELS ARE REQUIRED TO NOTIFY THE CENTRE AT LEAST ONE DAY AHEAD OF THEIR ARRIVAL AND THE CENTRE WOULD DIRECT THE VESSELS TO THEIR DESIGNATED MOORING AND MONITOR THEIR MOVEMENTS AT ALL TIMES UNTIL THEIR DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG WATERS.
THE CENTRE COULD ESTABLISH DIRECT TELEPHONE LINK-UPS WITH NEARLY ALL SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT. IT ALSO HAS DIRECT COMMUNICATIONS LINKS WITH ITS COUNTERPARTS IN MOST PARTS OF THE WORLD.
IN DECEMBER 1980 HONG KONG BECAME ONE OF THE FEW PORTS IN THE WORLD TO HAVE FULLY IMPLEMENTED THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LIGHTHOUSE AUTHORITIES (I.A.L.A.) MARITIME BUOYAGE SYSTEM.
THE ADVANTAGE OF THE NEW INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED BUOYAGE SYSTEM OVER OTHER BUOYAGE SYSTEMS IN USE IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD IS THAT IT HELPS MARINERS TO ESTABLISH THE POSITIONS OF THE IR VESSELS AND TO AVOID NAVIGATIONAL HAZARDS, SUCH AS A SUBMERGED ROCK, REEF, SHOAL OR WRECK.
THE MARINE DEPARTMENT MAINTAINS 72 HARBOUR MOORING BUOYS OF WHICH 44 ARE CLASSIFIED AS +A+ BUOYS OF LARGE SHIPS AND THE REMAINING 28 ARE CLASSIFIED AS +B+ BUOYS FOR SMALLER SHIPS. OF THESE BUOYS ARE APPROVED FOR USE AS SPECIAL TYPHOON MOORINGS.
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