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The department manages two cross-boundary ferry terminals: the China
Ferry Terminal (CFT) with 13 berths and the Macau Ferry Terminal (MFT)
with 12 berths. The CFT is open from 7 am to 10 pm daily and the MFT operates
round-the-clock.
Immigration and quarantine services are available at the Western Quarantine
and Immigration Anchorage and the Eastern Quarantine and Immigration Anchorage.
A shipping agent may apply for immigration and quarantine services, including
advance clearance, for a ship.
The Tuen Mun Immigration Anchorage operates 24 hours
daily for river trade vessels plying between Hong Kong and Pearl River
Delta ports. Pre-arrival clearance (PAC) has been extended to Mainland
River/Coastal Trade Vessels (MRCTVs). All MRCTVs may apply for the PAC
facilities. MRCTVs operators who are interested in the scheme may submit
applications to the Harbour Control Section of the Immigration Department.
The department provides 31 mooring buoys in the harbour area for ship
operations. There are 19 class 'A' buoys for vessels up to 183 metres
in length and 12 class 'B' buoys for vessels up to 137 metres in length.
Booking of these mooring buoys is made through the Vessel Traffic Centre.
Bunkering is readily available at commercial wharves and oil terminals
or from a large fleet of private bunkering barges. Fresh water may also
be provided alongside berths or from a private fleet of water boats.
The port has extensive facilities for repairing, docking and slipping
all types of vessels of sizes up to 300 metres in length and 42 metres
in beam. Local shipyards are able to build and maintain ferries, cargo
boats, workboats and pleasure vessels. The department's Marine Industrial
Safety Section provides free services in carrying out safety inspections
of vessels and issuing permits for vessels to undergo repairs. As part
of its safety advisory service, the section publishes free leaflets and
pamphlets that promote safe working practices in ship-repairing, ship-breaking
and cargo-handling afloat as well as in marine construction work.
The Local Vessel Safety Section provides a certification service for
all types of local vessels, except pleasure vessels, to ensure they comply
with requirements in construction safety, life-saving appliances, fire-fighting
equipment, light and sound signals, and anti-pollution installations.
The department manages eight Public Cargo Working Areas (PCWA), in which
licensed cargo operators are allowed to load and unload cargo onto and
from barges and coasters. The total length of berths available in these
working areas is 6 992 metres. The Wan Chai PCWA was decommissioned on
October 3 for local development but the Chai Wan PCWA was reopened on
the same day to take over the cargo activities of Wan Chai.
The department provides contractor services to collect domestic and operational
refuse from ocean-going vessels and local vessels. The Chemical Waste
Treatment Centre on Tsing Yi Island provides facilities for handling oily
and chemical wastes from ships. Registered contractors collect such wastes
from ships and deliver them to the centre.
The department maintains a maritime oil spill response plan to ensure
a timely and effective response to oil spills in Hong Kong waters.
There is also a regional maritime oil spill response
plan for the Pearl River Estuary. The aim of this plan is to enhance the
regional cooperation in the event of a major oil spill incident occurring
in Hong Kong or in any of the neighbouring ports in Shenzhen, Zhuhai,
Macau and Guangzhou.
In October, the department's Pollution Control Unit
organised a large-scale oil spill clean-up exercise in which all concerned
government departments and local oil companies took part. |
