ENG-1985 — Page 243

184

TRANSPORT

Hong Kong occupies a prominent position as a centre for shipowning and management activities. Hong Kong shipowners control almost 10 per cent of the world's deadweight tonnage though most vessels are registered at places other than Hong Kong. Most local shipowners and connected businesses are represented by the Hong Kong Shipowners Association. The association's aims are to protect and promote the interests of Hong Kong shipowners and to speak on their behalf when necessary, both at international and domestic levels.

Despite a general recession in world shipping, the Hong Kong registered fleet experien- ced a significant growth from 6.4 million to 7.1 million gross tonnes during the year.

Hong Kong is a British port of registry and as such, in all key aspects, ships registered in Hong Kong adopt the same standards of construction, safety and manning as those registered in the United Kingdom. This status cannot continue beyond 1997 when the territory reverts to Chinese sovereignty. The Sino-British Joint Declaration provides that the future Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may continue to maintain a ship- ping register under its own legislation. It is, therefore, necessary for an autonomous shipping register for Hong Kong to be in place and working well before 1997. To this end, the government published a consultative document in May. The document envisages the autonomous Hong Kong register as being run to internationally accepted standards equivalent to those at present adopted. It is hoped that substantive proposals for the creation of such an autonomous register will be published during the first half of 1986.

As regards the present register, the Shipping Division of the Marine Department is responsible for the survey and certification of Hong Kong registered vessels under various international conventions and also provides a plan approval and survey service. Statutory surveys of vessels intended for Hong Kong registry are undertaken world-wide by surveyors of the division. Locally, surveyors are made available to any British or foreign ships for the issue of certificates under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) 1974 and other international maritime conventions. A number of such international certificates were issued to foreign flag ships at the request of foreign governments. Additionally, one of the world's largest fleets of high technology Dynamic- ally Supported Craft, comprising jetfoils, hydrofoils, side wall hovercraft and jetcats, operates from Hong Kong under the survey and certification of the Shipping Division of the Marine Department. With some exceptions, vessels plying within the waters of Hong Kong need to be licensed under the Shipping and Port Control Ordinance. These, too, are inspected and issued with certificates.

Hong Kong registered ships maintain a high standard of safety in compliance with the SOLAS convention and its amendments for improved safety measures. This conven- tion is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties relating to maritime safety.

A convention of particular significance which is in force internationally and observed by Hong Kong registered vessels, is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) 1973 as modified by its 1978 protocol. Hong Kong registered vessels comply with the requirements of the convention and are issued with International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) certificates. As a result, Hong Kong ships are now able to produce authoritative evidence of compliance with MARPOL, thereby making a positive contribution to the environmental protection of the sea. Moreover, as visiting ships are required to comply with MARPOL standards, the risk of pollution to Hong Kong waters has been reduced.