ENG-2006 — Page 320

268 Transport

Reception of Marine Wastes

The department provides contractor services to collect domestic sewage and refuse from ocean-going vessels and local vessels. The Chemical Waste Treatment Centre on Tsing Yi Island provides facilities for handling oily and chemical waste collected from ships by registered contractors.

Combating Oil Pollution

The department maintains a maritime oil spill response plan to ensure a timely and effective response to oil spills in Hong Kong waters.

There is also a regional maritime oil spill response plan for the Pearl River Estuary to enhance regional cooperation in the event of a major oil spill occurring in Hong Kong or in any of the neighbouring ports in Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Macao and Guangzhou.

In November, the department's Pollution Control Unit organised a large-scale, oil-spill clean-up exercise in which all concerned government departments and local oil companies took part.

Shipping

Hong Kong Shipping Register

The Hong Kong Shipping Register (HKSR) administered by the Marine Department is recognised as a world-class register providing excellent services. In 2006, it continued to take part in the demanding US Coast Guard's QUALSHIP 21 Scheme confirming its status as a quality flag.

Hong Kong continued to attract top quality ships in 2006. This fact was reflected in the 32.5-million gross tonnage recorded in the HKSR at the end of the year, establishing the HKSR as one of the world's top ten shipping registers.

To ensure high standards, the Marine Department conducts a Pre-registration Quality Control (PRQC) assessment of ships intending to join the register, and a Flag State Quality Control (FSQC) System to ensure ships under the register comply fully with international standards. During the year, the department's surveyors and auditors carried out a total of eight PRQC inspections and made 40 FSQC visits to ships and related companies. As a result of the quality control measures, the detention rate for Hong Kong-registered ships remained well below the world average.

An annual tonnage charge (ATC) reduction scheme was introduced in 2006. Under it, a ship that has remained on the HKSR for two consecutive years and has not been detained by authorities in any port during that time will be be entitled to a six-month fee cut in the following year.