DESIGNING HK

Smokey Vessels

Designing Hong Kong on how you can become a smoky vessel spotter

The residents of Ap Lei Chau, Tin Wan, Wah Kwai, Wah Fu and Pok Fu Lam, have an excellent view of East Lamma Channel, one of the world’s busiest navigation channels. It serves the ports of Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

In 2014, residents joined a smoky vessel spotter campaign after new legislation was adopted making it an offence to emit smoke as dark as shade two on the Ringelmann Smoke Chart continuously for three minutes or more.

The chart is a piece of cardboard with different shades of grey and black printed on it. One can hold up and determine whether a smoke plume is dark enough for prosecution action. Next, spotters pull out their phone and record a continuous video of the smoke plume.

Thirty-three captains have been successfully prosecuted since. Some 29 cases were determined based on evidence provided by spotters. A total of $70,500 in penalties were imposed.

It was recently proposed that the government install cameras along the East 36 | SOUTHSIDE

Lamma Channel as part of its Smart City concept. Combined with data recorded by the Marine Department’s Vessel Tracking System, there should be adequate evidence for enforcement.

For now, smoky vessel spotters will need to continue sending reports to the Harbour Patrol Unit of the Marine Department. These reports help direct their vessels to check out offenders.

A thorny issue is heavy smoke of any colour other than dark grey. How do we know it is not polluting? For those cases it is the responsibility of the Environmental Protection Department.

The Air Pollution Control (Fuel for Vessels) Regulation came into force on January 1 2019 and mandates vessels to use compliant fuel (including low-sulphur fuel with sulphur not exceeding 0.5 percent) within Hong Kong waters. EPD officers conduct surprise inspections of bunker delivery notes, operation of machinery, fuel-switch records and fuel samples, after a vessel is at berth.

In 2019, EPD inspected 195 vessels and initiated prosecution against three for using non compliant fuel. Owners and masters of the vessels concerned were convicted by the court and fined $5,000 to $10,000.

Do you have a view of the sea, harbour or East Lamma Channel? Join the army of smoky vessels spotters, Find the Ringelmann Smoke Chart on-line, and when you see an offending vessel, record a video of at least three minutes continuously and send it to

mi1ohps1@mardep.gov.hk

Designing Hong Kong Limited is a not-forprofit organisation devoted to promoting sustainability, quality of life and good design as core values in planning, development and governance. Its aim is to increase public awareness and to improve Hong Kong’s collective ability to plan and deliver a ‘beautiful’ city. It promotes collaborations on interventions wherever it sees bad planning and wherever it sees that policies or institutions are not working the way they should. Designing Hong Kong is a member of the World Urban Campaign by UN-Habitat.