ENG-1986 — Page 237

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medium and long-term strategic development opportunities. The key finding of the study is that additional container terminal and related facilities will be required to meet the anticipated increased demands in the 1990s and beyond. To this end, the study recommends further reclamation to the west of Stonecutters Island as the best development option. The feasibility of this recommendation is now being studied in depth.

In the short term, even though Hong Kong already ranks as the leading container port in Asia and among the top three in the world, further expansion of the Kwai Chung Container Port is taking place. The reclamation of some 26 hectares of seabed at Kwai Chung Creek, which commenced in July 1984, continued throughout 1986. The new land formed will be used to provide back-up space for the container terminals.

As a second phase of the expansion programme, work commenced on the reclamation of a further 29 hectares of land at Kwai Chung for the provision of an additional three berths and associated terminal facilities. Construction of this new terminal is expected to be completed by the end of 1989.

During the year, 9.4 million passengers were carried between Hong Kong and Macau by jetfoils, hydrofoils, jetcats, hoverferries, high-speed ferries and conventional ferries operat- ing from either the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal on Hong Kong Island or the Sham Shui Po-Macau Ferry Terminal in Kowloon.

About 2.34 million passengers, representing an increase of 13 per cent over 1985, travelling between Hong Kong and 18 destinations in China, passed through the temporary terminals at Tai Kok Tsui and Central. Hoverferries, jetcats, catamarans and conventional ferries operate on these routes.

In January 1986, a temporary terminal in the Central District of Hong Kong Island was opened to relieve congestion at the Tai Kok Tsui Terminal in Kowloon to cope with increasing passenger traffic to China.

The construction of a new ferry terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui on the site of the existing Kowloon Public Pier Number 54 is progressing on schedule. This new terminal is expected to open in early 1988. It will serve destinations in China and replace the temporary terminals at Tai Kok Tsui and Central.

Within the port of Hong Kong, 71 mooring buoys are provided and maintained by the Marine Department. Of these, 44 are classified as 'A Class' moorings, suitable for vessels up to 183 metres in length, and 27 are classified as 'B Class' moorings suitable for vessels up to 137 metres in length. These moorings include 55 special typhoon moorings to which vessels may remain secured during the passage of tropical storms, so improving working efficiency and reducing operational costs.

For ships calling at Hong Kong, immigration facilities are available on a 24-hour basis at the Western Quarantine Anchorage and from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Eastern Quarantine Anchorage. Quarantine facilities are available continously at the Western Quarantine Anchorage, but at the Eastern Quarantine Anchorage, only between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., on request through the Port Communications Centre. Vessels may, on application, obtain advanced clearance, advanced immigration processing and advanced free pratique by radio.

Hong Kong occupies a prominent position as a centre for shipowning and management activities. As a British port of registry, the tonnage of shipping registered in Hong Kong is of significance internationally. Despite a general recession in world shipping, the Hong Kong registered fleet experienced a sizeable growth, from 7.1 million to eight million gross tons during the year, bringing the position of the Hong Kong register to within the 12 largest registers in the world. The regulatory administration of ships registered in Hong