XN000022-1986-05-16 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, MAY 16, 1986

PRAISE FOR VOLUNTARY +WEATHER SHIPS+

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THE CONTRIBUTION THAT VOLUNTARY WEATHER OBSERVING SHIPS MAKE TO HONG KONG'S MARINE WEATHER FORECASTING SYSTEM WAS PRAISED TODAY (FRIDAY) BY THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MR JOHN YAXLEY.

AN ACCURATE AND RELIABLE WEATHER SERVICE ENABLED SHIPS TO PLAN THEIR MOVEMENTS SO AS TO MAXIMISE BOTH EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY, HE SAID.

THE LOCAL SYSTEM HAD A DIRECT BENEFIT FOR PARTICIPATING VESSELS AS WELL AS ALL SHIPPING APPROACHING OR DEPARTING HONG KONG, HE ADDED.

MR YAXLEY WAS SPEAKING AT A CEREMONY, HELD AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, AT WHICH PLAQUES WERE PRESENTED TO REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE VOLUNTARY WEATHER SHIPS.

+THE SUCCESS OF HONG KONG AS A TRADING CENTRE, AND ALSO AS A GROWING TRANSHIPMENT POINT (LARGELY FOR CARGO TO AND FROM CHINA) HAS MADE INCREASING DEMANDS ON THE PORT AS BOTH THE NUMBER OF VESSELS ENTERING HONG KONG AND THE VOLUME OF CARGO MOVED CONTINUE TO INCREASE, HE SAID.

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MORE THAN 13 000 OCEAN-GOING SHIPS AND 80 000 RIVER TRADE VESSELS CALLED AT HONG KONG LAST YEAR, AND ALL BENEFITTED FROM THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY'S EXCELLENT MARINE WEATHER SERVICE AND THUS FROM THE DATA PROVIDED BY THE VOLUNTARY OBSERVING SHIPS.

MR YAXLEY ALSO PAID TRIBUTE TO THE HONG KONG SHIPOWNERS ASSOCIATION FOR ITS SUPPORT OF THE SCHEME.

HE THEN PRESENTED THE PLAQUES TO 75 MASTERS AND OFFICERS FROM VOLUNTARY WEATHER OBSERVING SHIPS, INCLUDING FIVE ROYAL NAVY VESSELS, IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR SERVICES TO THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANISATION (WMO) VOLUNTARY OBSERVING SHIPS (VOS) SCHEME.

AMONG THE GUESTS AT THE CEREMONY WERE THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE, MR PETER Y.Y. CHAN, AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG SHIPOWNERS ASSOCIATION, MR KENNETH K.W. LO.

TO MARK THE OCCASION, THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY MOUNTED AN EXHIBITION ON +PORT AND MARINE METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES+ WHICH SHOWED HOW THE WORLD'S METEOROLOGICAL AND SHIPPING COMMUNITIES HAD BENEFITTED FROM THE VOS SCHEME.

IN HIS SPEECH, THE DIRECTOR OF THE OBSERVATORY, MR PATRICK SHAM. NOTED THAT HONG KONG HAD TAKEN PART IN THE WMO'S VOS SCHEME SINCE 1949.

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