ENG-1995 — Page 295

TRANSPORT

Local Craft

Harbour workboats are essential to the efficient running of the port, and Hong Kong has many of them. More than 1 600 lighters and 400 motorised cargo boats move cargo between ocean-going ships at mooring buoys or anchorages and cargo-working areas ashore. They are part of Hong Kong's fleet of 16 000 local craft, which include ferries, barges, workboats, fishing boats and pleasure vessels.

The Marine Department sets and enforces safety standards for local craft. Certification, safety and control requirements are being rationalised to improve safety by clearly redefining the duties and responsibilities of owners, operators and the government.

Reclamations such as those at Central and Wan Chai have also increased pressures on local craft navigating the harbour. Special traffic measures have been adopted to ease the situation so that passenger ferries and other vessels can continue to operate safely from existing piers and landing steps while work proceeds around them. Eventually, the piers and landing steps will be relocated to the new reclamations.

Government Fleet

The government fleet of 355 powered vessels is highly visible in the port. Besides harbour patrol launches, fire boats and police vessels, the government has launches used for immigration, port health, customs clearance, and surveys of international shipping. The fleet includes lighters, airport rescue craft, pollution control craft, floating clinics and launches for transporting government staff.

The department designs, procures and maintains all government vessels. It has a rolling 10-year development plan to replace old vessels and provide new ones as they are needed. In 1995, the department awarded construction contracts for 18 vessels, worth $86 million, to shipbuilders in Hong Kong and overseas.

Shipping

Hong Kong is a prominent centre for ship-owning, ship-financing and ship- management. Members of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association control a significant percentage of the world's shipping tonnage. At the end of 1995, their fleet stood at 1 161 ocean-going vessels, totalling 33.1 million GRT. These ships are registered under many flags, but principally with the Hong Kong, Panamanian and Liberian shipping registers.

The association represents the interests of many local shipping interests in international shipping affairs. Besides shipowners, its members include banks, classification societies, maritime lawyers, average adjusters, shipbrokers, shipbuilders, insurers and surveyors. This broad-based membership provides a particularly effectively forum for liaison on current shipping issues with government and international organisations.

Hong Kong's Shipping Register

The Hong Kong Shipping Register is administered by the Marine Department. Its supporting legislation embodies international standards for vessel construction, equipment and manning, and is consistent with the territory's obligations under the International Maritime Organisation and International Labour Organisation

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