ࡱ> TVS7 !bjbjUU ",7|7|l,,,,,,,@ @#  $# CD , ,, ,,   ,,  R,@@: 0#   @@,,,,Digital Ship article on Hong Kong Vessel Traffic Centre By Paul Barrett It seems unbelievable that there are not more accidents in Hong Kong waters. This reporter takes a ferry every day between the outlying islands and Hong Kong Island. When the boat enters the famous Victoria Harbour, the captain sometimes has to swerve to avoid myriad sampans and barges or the ferry skims and lurches violently as it goes over the wake of a large vessel it passes. Your stomach often ends up in your mouth. Add to this chaos, the sight of the 76,800 gross tonne Superstar Leo giant floating resort weaving a path through the Lilliputian marine craft. The scale of the task of monitoring the SARs marine traffic is illustrated by the fact that last year a total of 37,350 ocean going vessels (OGVs) and 177,390 river trade vessels (RTVs) called at Hong Kong. However, there are many reasons why there are relatively few casualties in Hong Kong waters, but perhaps the most important factor is the marine Vessel Traffic Centre (VTC), which is housed in the Shun Tak Centre, overlooking one of the worlds busiest waterways, Victoria Hongs Kongs VTC has recently had an upgrade, which means that its HK$200 million third-generation system is now among the worlds most sophisticated. The system is important for a number of reasons and is the almost all-seeing eye of Hong Kongs Marine Department. It provides information to vessels and ensuring the rules of the sea and safety are of paramount importance. It also has other uses. As a prominent Hong Kong maritime lawyer told Digital Ship: It is one of the first things you turn to in the event of marine casualty investigation. This system doesnt lie; witnesses can do. The principle elements of the system are a computer-assisted radar network and very high frequency (VHF) radio communications. These facets are complimented by various navigation aids, fairways, traffic separation schemes and harbour patrol all of which are controlled by the VTC. The objectives of the VTC have altered little from when the original Hong Kong Vessel Traffic Service (HK-VTS) was established on October 1, 1989. The primary aims remain to enhance the safety of the port to protect the marine environment and to ensure that ships deployed on international and Pearl River trade routes can conduct their business expeditiously and safely. The main daily activities of the system are to offer advice and traffic information to vessels via their sectorised VHF network; to manage the operations of the port; and to respond to vessel emergencies. This does not, however, extend to issues of maritime security. As marine officer, Wan Moon-Tong, explains that terrorists are out of our hands and that it government, customs and the police that deal with issues of security. The system is linked with a database called Informatics to record all the data required for marine traffic regulation as well as to support invoicing and the compilation of statistics. Hong Kongs vessel traffic system was supplied by Dutch company HITT NV, which specialises in air traffic control as well as vessel traffic management systems, hydrographic surveying software and real-time sea bottom cartography in harbours, rivers and for offshore construction. HITTs systems are recognised as being at the forefront of vessel management technology. They use advanced extraction, tracking and labeling technology alongside conflict prediction algorithms. Integration of HITTs vessel traffic mangement system (VTMS) with a vessel traffic information system provides full indentidfcation of vessels, shipowners, managers, departure and destination data, cargo composition and other relevant information. HITTs VTMS has open and modular architecture, which allows the system to be periodically expanded. Additional sensors, displays can be integrated easily. Moreover, the Hong Kong experience illustrates how such systems can be linked with new technology such as satellite navigation, radar data links with vessels and electronic charts. HITTs Advanced Radar Monitor and Information System (ARAMIS) provides an integrated picture of several sensors with screen transitions. The high-resolution colour monitors and buffered display of data updates are clear and easy to use. This feature is augmented by the use of windowing techniques via the keybord and mouse, which promotes user-friendliness between the operator and the system. Indeed, system operators can choose from a host of personal features such as scale, colour, font and alarm, among others. The Hong Kong control centre, which maintains radar surveillance coverage of 95% of waters navigable by ships, has three stations one for the east and west approaches to the harbour and one that supervises the organised chaos in Victoria Harbour. The system operates 24 hours a day with the around 40 staff working shifts. Interesting features include a closed circuit television (CCTV), which can be turned to almost any angle to increase vessel visibility especially in accident blackspots. The CCTV system is also equipped with infra-red night vision capabilities. Automatic identification systems have also been installed. Information is gathered on all vessels arriving or departing from Hong Kong. Detailing whether, for example, they are carrying dangerous cargo. The data, which includes flag, call sign, cargo type, purpose of vessel call and ETA is sent to the centre When vessels get within 20 miles of Hong Kong and is then put into the computer system. There are three VHF direction finders. The eastern approach uses VHF channel 12, harbour uses 14 and western approach is on channel 67. While the system does not identify all targets (some fishing boats, for example, are too small), it does have an auto-acquire function where it displays details whenever detectable vessels are in range. Every ship over 30 gt must have an auto identification system. The system can simultaneously monitor 4,000 mobile targets and 1,000 stationary ones. Mr Wan jokes that this is too many. The positioning systems use GPS, which means that by clicking on the vessel icons gives precise coordinates. The sheer volume of traffic on the monitors is daunting to the untrained eye and around at the head of the Lamma Channel it seems disaster may be imminent. It looks like a swarm of bees rather than ships plying there trade in this area. This is a notorious blackspot in Hong Kong waters because many container vessels offload onto the midstream barge operators rather than pay the high terminal charges at Kwai Chung. The maximum speed for vessels in the harbour is 10 knots and the system monitors ships speed and issues warnings if these go unheeded. The last resort is to alert the marine police who will arrest offending vessels. The electronic charts used by the system are designed by the hydrographic section of the Marine Department and are on general sale. The Hong Kong Marine Department sees a future where vessel traffic of port authorities around the world are linked. VTS would become a global system in which other ports could exchange and share information in respect of vessel traffic services and marine rescue operations. Information exchange between ships and various port operators such as pilots, terminals, tugs and shipping agents could be automated through radio data communication gateways and networks. The future VTS could be a silent system with voice communication only used as a backup or in emergencies. 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