Reporting Smoky Vessels

Reporting Smoky Vessels

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 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 1 January 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 [email protected]

(Based on 'Smoky Vessels' published in Southside Magazine, 1 August 2020)

船隻黑煙篤灰小隊

鴨脷洲、田灣、華貴、華富及薄扶林有廣闊的海岸線，一眼盡收東博寮海峽的美景，這亦是全球其中一個最繁忙的海峽，香港、深圳及廣州的船隻都在這個通道往返不絕。2014年新規例實施，訂明船舶持續3分鐘排放陰暗色達微型力高民文圖表第二級或以上的黑煙即屬違法，有居民即組成了「船隻黑煙篤灰小隊」監察船隻有否違規。

微型力高民文圖表由不同灰階圖像組成，供人參考判斷船隻冒出的黑煙有否違規。然後，目擊者就可以用手機拍下影片，向政府部門作出舉報。新措施實行以後，共有33名船長被檢控，29宗是根據目擊者的證供作出起訴，至今累計罰款為70,500元。

我們建議政府在東博寮海峽安裝攝錄機，作為其智慧城市政策的一部份，配合海事處的船隻航行監察服務系統，應能為起訴涉事船隻提供充份證供。但在這些措施實現之前，目擊者仍需向海事處海港巡邏組作出舉報，才能逐一找出違規船隻。

當中棘手的問題是船隻排出的廢氣不止於黑煙，一般市民又從何判斷會否造成環境污染？環境保護署在此責無旁貸。2019年1月1日生效的《空氣污染管制條例》針對船舶的廢氣排放管制的部份，訂明船舶在本港水域需使用合規格的燃料（包括硫含量不超過千分之五的低硫燃料）。署方職員會在船隻停泊後，對燃料採購憑證、運作中的機件、燃料轉換紀錄及燃料樣本等作突擊檢查。在2019年，環境保護署共對195隻船隻作出檢查，就不合規格燃料的成功起訴數字為3宗，船東和船長被法庭判罰5,000至10,000元不等。

你家中的窗戶能望到海岸線或東博寮海峽嗎？我邀請你加入船隻黑煙篤灰小隊，從網上取得以上的微型力高民文圖表對比船隻排出的黑煙濃度，再用手機拍下至少3分鐘的連續影片，並發送至[email protected] 作出舉報。

(立場新聞2020年8月12日連結: 船隻黑煙篤灰小隊)