ENG-2017 — Page 283

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Transport

The Sea-going Training Incentive Scheme encourages youngsters to join the maritime profession in Hong Kong by providing financial incentives to take up seagoing cadetship training. In 2017, the scheme signed up 45 cadets.

Participation in International Maritime Activities

International Maritime Organisation

The HKSAR Government, under the name 'Hong Kong, China', is an associate member of the IMO and has a permanent representative in London. The Hong Kong maritime industry is consulted on, and closely informed of, all issues discussed at IMO meetings that may affect Hong Kong. In 2017, HKSAR Government officials attended 19 IMO meetings. Topics discussed included enhancement of maritime safety and security, measures to reduce marine pollution, matters related to maritime laws, seafarers' training and certification of standards, and facilitation of international maritime traffic.

Port State Control

Hong Kong is a member of the MoU on Port State Control in the Asia-Pacific region. The Marine Department takes part in its activities, including leading an Advisory Group for Technical Cooperation Programmes and as a member of four other working groups.

In 2017, the department conducted 664 initial Port State Control inspections on 13 per cent of all foreign ocean-going ships that visited Hong Kong. It detained 4.07 per cent of the ships inspected because of serious deficiencies that needed immediate attention.

Maritime Search and Rescue

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre coordinates search and rescue operations within Hong Kong waters and for about 450,000 square nautical miles of international waters of the South China Sea. Professional staff equipped with modern communications equipment act on distress alerts and coordinate search and rescue operations.

Government Fleet and Dockyard

Government Fleet

The fleet of more than 800 government vessels serves 14 government departments. Of these, the Marine Department manages 75 vessels to serve its port operations and the needs of other government departments. The vessels it manages include patrol launches, purpose-built conveyance launches, pontoons, hydrographic survey launches and explosives carriers. In 2017, the department also contracted 27 vessels, including conveyance launches and tugboats.

Government Dockyard

The Government Dockyard, managed by the department's Government Fleet Division, designs, procures, repairs and maintains all government vessels. It occupies a 9.8-hectare site on Stonecutters Island and has an 8.3-hectare sheltered water basin to moor vessels. It has 10 covered docking sheds, four movable canopies, 30 open-yard docking cradle spaces, a shiplift system and three ship-hoists capable of dry-docking vessels of up to 750 tonnes.

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