XN000022-1987-05-07 — Page 7

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THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1987

MR HOLMES ADDED. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT SWIMMING IN POLLUTED WATER POSES A RISK TO HEALTH. WE ARE TRYING TO ESTABLISH EXACTLY WHAT THOSE RISKS ARE SO THAT THEY CAN BE KEPT WITHIN ACCEPTABLE BOUNDS+.

HE WAS REFERRING TO A THREE-YEAR INVESTIGATION BEING CARRIED OUT BY HIS DEPARTMENT WITH THE SUPPORT OF HONG KONG UNIVERSITY'S DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE.

IT INVOLVES A PROGRAMME OF INTERVIEWS WITH SWIMMERS AND INTENSIVE MEASUREMENT OF THE BACTERIAL QUALITY OF THE WATER AT A NUMBER OF BEACHES.

AS HONG KONG HAS RELATIVELY FEW BEACHES SERVING A LARGE POPULATION, RECOMMENDATIONS TO RESTRICT ALREADY LIMITED AMENITIES MUST BE BASED ON THE BEST AVAILABLE INFORMATION.

EARLY INDICATIONS ARE THAT RISK OF INFECTION IS LOW COMPARED WITH THE FINDINGS OF A SIMILAR STUDY CARRIED OUT IN THE UNITED STATES. THE STUDY CONTINUES THIS YEAR.

SHIPPING, PORT AND CARGO STATISTICS RELEASED

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IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1986, 3 663 SHIPS WITH A TOTAL CAPACITY OF 21.9 MILLION NET REGISTERED TONS (NRT) ARRIVED IN HONG KONG, REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF 276 (OR 8 PER CENT) IN NUMBER AND OF 8 PER CENT IN CAPACITY OVER THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1985, ACCORDING TO THE HONG KONG SHIPPING STATISTICS REPORT PUBLISHED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

DURING THE SAME PERIOD, THE TOTAL TONNAGE OF CARGO DISCHARGED IN HONG KONG FROM INCOMING SHIPS (ESTIMATED FROM A SAMPLE OF MANIFEST CONSIGNMENTS) INCREASED BY 21 PER CENT.

WHEN ANALYSED BY SHIP TYPE, INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN THE NUMBER OF CONTAINER VESSELS (+163) AND OIL TANKERS (+102) WHILE DECREASES WERE RECORDED IN THE NUMBER OF CONVENTIONAL CARGO VESSELS (-59) AND ROLL-ON/ROLL-OFF VESSELS (-29).

INCREASES IN NUMBER WERE RECORDED FOR SHIPS REGISTERED IN CHINA (+267), PANAMA (+50) AND LIBERIA (+12), BUT DECREASES WERE RECORDED FOR THOSE REGISTERED IN THE U.S. (-15) AND THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY (-14). THE NUMBER OF SHIPS WITH A CAPACITY OF LESS THAN 10 000 DWT (DEADWEIGHT TONS) INCREASED (+155).

IN THE