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To encourage environmental friendly interment and promote scattering of cremated human ashes of the deceased, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will provide free ferry service from January next year to facilitate users.
Ferries will depart from Sai Wan Ho Public Pier every Saturday morning for east of Tung Lung Chau to enable scattering of human ashes. The first ferry service will be launched on January 23.
An FEHD spokesman said: "Each ferry trip can accommodate ten applicants with each of them bringing no more than seven family members, relatives or friends on board.
"If the service is well-received, additional ferry schedules will be arranged."
Since July 2007, FEHD has streamlined application procedures to facilitate the scattering of human ashes at designated areas of Hong Kong waters, namely east of Tung Lung Chau, east of Tap Mun, and south of West Lamma Channel.
The spokesman said, "The number of applications has increased in the past three years, from 160 in 2007 to 273 this year. This shows that people have gradually accepted this environmental way of disposing of human ashes. A few non-governmental organisations and private companies, however, are at present offering such ferry service."
People could conduct brief memorial ceremonies on board provided that no nuisances or obstruction would be caused to others. Apart from human ashes of the deceased and a handful of natural flower pedals, no other objects are allowed to be thrown into the sea.
Application for scattering human ashes at sea is free of charge. Applicants should fill in the application form and submit it to the Hong Kong or Kowloon office of FEHD's Cemeteries and Crematoria Section at least ten days prior to the proposed date for scattering human ashes.
Approval will normally be granted within five working days from the date of receipt of the duly completed application form, while the applicant or the person authorised by the applicant can select any designated date of ferry service within three months from the date of submitting the application form.
The application form and relevant guidance notes regarding the service are available on FEHD's website from tomorrow (http://www.fehd.gov.hk).
Ends/Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Issued at HKT 21:24
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