ENG-1994 — Page 316

TRANSPORT

The Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) is manned continuously. It monitors all emergency communications channels and the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). When the need arises, search and rescue missions are activated and run by professionally-trained staff. Fully-equipped search and rescue vessels and aircraft are available, and additional assistance can be obtained from nearby ships and other rescue co- ordination centres in the region.

Port State Control

Many marine casualties and pollution cases can be attributed to the use of substandard ships. This situation can be improved by each port state stepping up inspections of incoming vessels, but such a move would place a considerable strain on their resources. Also, a significant burden would be placed on ship operators if their ships are subject to port state control at all the ports at which their ships call. In view of these factors, various countries in the Asia-Pacific region have agreed to mutually co-operate to share the workload and share information on inspected vessels. In this connection, an Asia-Pacific Regional Memoran- dum of Understanding on Port State Control has been concluded. Hong Kong supports this initiative and, in Beijing in April 1994, signed the memorandum accepting regional co- operation on port state control.

During 1994, a total of 85 ocean-going ships visiting Hong Kong were inspected, to check compliance with international safety and environmental protection conventions. This represented about 0.23 per cent of the ships visiting Hong Kong. About 93 per cent had deficiencies which had to be made good before they could proceed.

Role in Other International Fora

Hong Kong is a modern shipping centre and the Marine Department is an active participant in international shipping and port matters. The department hosted the Marine Accident Investigators International Forum in May, and participated in the work of international bodies such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC), Economic and Social Commission on Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH).

Services in the Port

Container Handling

Of the 11 million containers loaded and discharged in 1994, about 66 per cent (or 7.3 million TEUs) were handled at the Kwai Chung Container Port, and 26 per cent (or 2.8 million TEUs) were handled by ships at mid-stream mooring buoys and anchorages. This represented a growth rate of 26 per cent at container terminals and 0.5 per cent at mid-stream facilities, compared with 1993. All the eight container terminals at Kwai Chung are privately-owned and operated. They have a total of 16 berths for ocean-going vessels. The four berths of the latest terminal, Container Terminal 8, became operational between July 1993 and October 1994.

Planning for the construction of Container Terminal 9, at Southeast Tsing Yi Island, is at an advanced stage, and preliminary design work is underway for Container Terminals 10 and 11, to be located at West Lantau. Hong Kong, already the busiest container port in the world, continues to enjoy unprecedented growth in this area.

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