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LCQ9: Safety of hikers
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     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hak-kan and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (February 15):
 
Question:
 
     It is learnt that in recent years, many members of the public are keen on hiking activities, and have used related applications and webpages to obtain relevant information. However, some hikers' lack of safety awareness has resulted in the frequent occurrence of accidents. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the respective numbers of cases in which hikers sought assistance, went missing and suffered casualty in each of the past three years, with a breakdown by the country parks involved; among the hiker missing and death cases, the respective percentages of those involving lone hikers;
 
(2) of the number of operations mounted by the authorities to search for and rescue hikers in the past three years, as well as the average time required and the number of search and rescue (S&R) officers deployed for each of such operations;
 
(3) of the number of downloads of the "Enjoy Hiking" mobile application launched by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department so far, and the utilisation situation of the "GPS Hiker Tracking Service" function in the application (e.g. the number of S&R operations in which the use of such function by persons seeking rescue helped S&R officers to track their locations or narrow down the search areas in the past three years); whether the Government has reviewed if the GPS Hiker Tracking Service has helped shorten the S&R time, and whether it has plans to introduce measures to increase the usage of the application;
 
(4) as it is learnt that hiking applications in the community, apart from providing information on hiking routes, are also equipped with functions of route deviation alerts to prevent hikers from getting lost and offline maps, and can be used to report and upload incidents of damaging the countryside immediately to notify other hikers, whether the Government has reviewed the hiking applications and webpages it launches, with a view to adding similar functions; if so, of the details; and
 
(5) whether it will step up education and organise more activities to raise the awareness of hiking safety among members of the public; if so, of the details?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Different government departments have been making efforts to introduce measures to enhance mountaineering safety, and disseminate relevant messages to the public through various channels to prevent accidents. Having consulted the relevant bureau and departments, the consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Chan Hak-kan is as follows:
 
(1) According to the records of the Fire Services Department (FSD), the number of requests for mountain search and rescue received, as well as the number of casualties within country park areas in the past three years are at Table 1 of the Annex. The FSD does not maintain statistics on the cases of lone hikers going missing or seeking assistance.
 
(2) In the past three years, the number of mountain search and rescue call-outs of the FSD, as well as the average mobilisation hours per incident (not limited to country parks) are at Table 2 of the Annex.
 
     The search and rescue operations above were mainly carried out by the FSD, while the Hong Kong Police Force (the Police), the Government Flying Service and the Civil Aid Service (CAS) would provide appropriate support when necessary. The relevant departments do not maintain statistics on the search and rescue personnel deployed during the operations.
 
(3) Since the launch of the "Enjoy Hiking" mobile application in 2010, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has been proactively promoting its usage through various publicity and education activities related to mountaineering safety. As at end-2022, the "Enjoy Hiking" mobile application had been downloaded for over 450 000 times. The said mobile application is equipped with a "Hiker Tracking Service" which, if activated by hikers, would automatically store hikers' location records at the service centre of the Communications Association of Hong Kong. In case of accidents, search and rescue personnel could trace the location of the missing persons making use of their relevant mobile phone numbers, thereby enhancing the efficiency of mountain search and rescue operations.  In the past three years, there were 33 search and rescue cases in which location information of the missing persons was obtained through the "Hiker Tracking Service" of the "Enjoy Hiking" mobile application, with the breakdown of the number of relevant cases by year at Table 3 of the Annex.

(4) The AFCD provides members of the public with integrated information and maps of different types of hiking trails, including Long Distance Trails, Country Trails, Family Walks and Nature Trails, etc., through its "Enjoy Hiking" website (www.hiking.gov.hk) which is also compatible with mobile devices, thereby encouraging them to choose suitable routes and plan the itinerary ahead of the trip. If necessary, members of the public can save the relevant information and maps in advance for use during hiking. In addition, if members of the public have spotted any suspected cases of irregularities in the countryside, they may notify relevant government departments through different channels including email or calling 1823, etc. Currently, some hiking mobile applications in the market are equipped with functions of route deviation alerts, offline maps, and immediate reporting and uploading of incidents of damaging countryside. Apart from commencing co-operation with certain hiking mobile application providers to expand the channels for receiving reports of environmental problems in county parks for taking necessary follow up actions, the AFCD will also review the "Enjoy Hiking" mobile application with a view to continuously enhancing its functions.
 
(5) Various government departments have been promoting mountaineering safety through different channels. Details are as follows:
 
(i) The AFCD organises education activities from time to time, including school visits, roving exhibitions, guided tours, etc.; disseminates information on hiking safety through promotional videos on television, online short videos and social media; distributes promotional materials at popular hiking spots during peak hiking seasons jointly with relevant government departments; and puts up warning signs at locations with potential danger in country parks to alert hikers to avoid access. The AFCD will continuously review and update its promotion strategy and content of information. Apart from regularly updating its webpage, brochures etc., the AFCD will also launch new online videos and promotional materials in due course, and continue making use of diverse channels for conducting publicity, with a view to promulgating hiking safety information to the wider public;
 
(ii) The FSD has been promoting hiking safety information to the public, including preparation before hiking, safety cautions during hiking which warrant attention, and ways to seek assistance in case of accidents, etc., through different social media platforms;
 
(iii) The CAS organises the Mountain Safety Promotion Day from time to time to enhance public awareness of mountaineering safety, and allow the public to learn about the mountain search and rescue operations; and
 
(iv) The Police conducts regularly inter-departmental mountain search and rescue drills, aiming to strengthen the command, co-ordination, response and support capabilities of various departments in carrying out mountain search and rescue operations, as well as to enhance the overall operational efficiency and co-operation.
 
Ends/Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Issued at HKT 11:25
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Annex