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LCQ7:Vessel accidents within HK waters
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    Following is the question by the Hon Wong Yung-kan and a written reply by the Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, Mr Stephen Ip, in the Legislative Council today (December 6):

Question

     The Government has enacted a subsidiary legislation to introduce multiple entry permits for river trade vessels (RTVs) to facilitate the transportation of cargoes via river.  As marine traffic is becoming busier day by day, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)  of the number of reports, received by the Marine Department in the past three years, on collisions involving RTVs and locally-licensed vessels (LLVs) in the waters of Hong Kong, together with a breakdown by the type of LLVs involved, as well as the resultant casualties and property losses; and

(b)  as the Government said in April last year that the Marine Department would organise seminars for the operators, masters and crew of local and Mainland-registered vessels to enhance their awareness of navigational safety, of the relevant details and whether there are other measures to reduce marine accidents involving RTVs; if there are, of the details of the measures; if not, the reasons for that?

 
Reply

Madam President,

(a)  From January 1, 2003 to June 30, 2006, the Marine Department (MD) received a total of 181 accident reports involving collision of river trade vessels (including cargo vessels and high-speed passenger crafts) with locally licensed vessels within Hong Kong waters.  Types of vessels and number of casualties involved are set out in the attached table.

     Of the 181 accidents, one caused the death of a local crew member, which occurred in December 2005 involving a collision of a river vessel with a local fishing vessel outside the Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter.  Two other accidents caused multiple injuries: one in July 2003 involving the collision between a high speed ferry to Cheung Chau and a river trade vessel resulting in 22 injuries; the other in March 2005 between a Mainland high-speed passenger craft and a local barge causing 15 injuries.

     As the property losses in marine accidents are personal data, the existing legislation does not empower the relevant government departments to require the persons affected, such as shippers, ship owners and charterers, to provide such information.

(b)  To raise the awareness of navigation safety among vessel operators, the vessel masters and crew members, the MD holds seminars and talks on this subject annually and invite attendance of representatives from local marine organisations including fishermen's associations, trade associations of local vessels, as well as operators of river trade vessels and high speed passenger crafts.  It also maintains liaison with the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration to discuss management issues relating to port and navigation safety at regular meetings held every year.  The MD also sends new MD notices to the Administration for distribution to owners and masters of the river trade vessels concerned.

     In addition, staff of the MD attend seminars and talks organised by Mainland (e.g. Guangzhou, Shantou and Xiamen) maritime authorities from time to time to brief their management personnel, owners, vessel masters, crew members and chief engineers as well as maritime academics on issues requiring attention and legal requirements when river trade vessels are navigating and operating in Hong Kong waters.  At the "Laws and Rules Applicable to Mainland Vessels Navigating in Hong Kong Waters" seminar hosted by the Pearl River Maritime Administration of Navigational Affairs in late March this year, staff of the MD spoke to over 200 representatives from various provincial and municipal maritime administrative units in the Pearl River Delta region (including Guangdong and Guangxi) on the safety issues and legislation applicable to river trade vessels navigating in Hong Kong waters.

     When conducting routine inspections on river trade vessels, patrol officers of the MD distribute and explain as necessary relevant MD notices and publicity leaflets on navigation safety to the masters of these vessels.

     All serious accident reports involving river trade vessels are sent to the relevant Mainland maritime authorities upon completion of investigation. The reports give an account of the accidents and appropriate measures to prevent recurrence of such accidents.

Ends/Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:35

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