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Marine Department is hosting the ninth session of the Joint International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Working Group on Harmonisation of Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue from today (September 30) to Friday (October 4).

About 40 search and rescue experts from 11 countries, including China represented by Hong Kong, are attending the session, which is being held at the Great Eagle Hotel.

Speaking at a welcome reception for the session participants and observers this (September 30) evening, Director of Marine Tsui Shung-yiu said that the Marine Department's Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) was responsible for the co-ordination of maritime search and rescue operations in major part of the South China Sea.

"The Hong Kong Search and Rescue Region includes very busy shipping routes and is prone to typhoons during the summer season," Mr Tsui said.

"Last year alone, the Hong Kong MRCC handled 216 incidents of which 76 developed into real search and rescue cases that required concerted efforts of different search and rescue agencies and resources.

"This resulted in the saving of 279 lives," Mr Tsui added.

The Joint ICAO and IMO Working Group was established in 1993 with the objective of assisting the relevant bodies of both organisations in developing provisions regarding new search and rescue techniques and procedures where both aeronautical and maritime interests are involved.

Members of the Group are maritime and aeronautical search and rescue experts from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and Hong Kong, China.

They act as individuals rather than as state representatives given their expertise in the search and rescue field.

The Working Group meets annually organised alternately by IMO and ICAO. These sessions have resulted in preparation of the three volumes of International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue manuals.

These manuals are issued under the joint aegis of IMO and ICAO and detail the search and rescue system, procedures and techniques for both aircraft and marine vessels.

End/Monday, September 30, 2002

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