News - 消息

Dear Members,  

The report Biofouling Management for Recreational Boating: Recommendations for improved biosecurity to prevent the introduction and spread of Invasive Aquatic Species was written by William Jonathan Michael Yonge, Senior Consultant, Earth to Ocean, with contributions, editorial review, comments and inputs from Udo Kleinitz, Secretary General and Julian Hunter, Head of Sustainability, ICOMIA; Kevin Smith, Senior Programme Officer Biodiversity Data Impact and Influence, IUCN; Dan Reading, former Head of Sustainability and Alexandra Rickham, Head of Sustainability, World Sailing; Lilia Khodjet El Khil, Project Technical Manager; John Alonso, Project Technical Analyst, GloFouling Partnerships Project, the Department of Partnerships and Projects, IMO; and Teo Karayannis, Head of Marine Biosafety, Marine Environment Division, IMO.

Please access the report from link below:

Recreational craft report.pdf

Thank you for your kind attention

Yours Sincerely, 

HKBIA

Dear Members, 

 

The Local Vessels Advisory Committee of Marine Department has a new notice; 

The arrangement on Facilitation of Yachting between Hong Kong SAR and Hainan Province was signed between the Marine Department (MD) and the Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) of the Ministry of Transport on 30 June 2022. This arrangement contains the safety requirement and declaration form and applies to Hong Kong registered or licensed yachts only.  

 

Please access the information papers from the links below; 

LINK 1 

LINK 2 

 

For any enquires regarding the arrangement, please contact MD’s Local Vessels Safety Section (Tel: 2852 4430).  

 

Yours Sincerely,  

HKBIA 

Tentative_Programme.pdf

Our second Summit “Applied Fundamental Research”  (https://hkbgsp.hkust.edu.hk/) is going to be held on 17 September 2022 (Saturday) at HKUST Campus (the tentative rundown & event poster are attached). We sincerely invite you to attend the summit with the Complimentary Pass.

 

Kindly register via https://bit.ly/3dexf1R, and input the invitation code (KUSTGSP2HKB) as Complimentary Pass to get the free registration on or before 4 September 2022 for seating and logistic arrangement purpose. 

We appreciate your time and kind supports. Should you need any further information, please feel free to contact us.

info@hongkongbia.com

Dear HKBIA Members,

The Italian Trade Commission is inviting HKBIA members to join the Genoa International Boat Show from 26-27 September. The offer is for three (3) HKBIA members on a first come first serve basis. Please RSVP by emailing chair@hongkongbia.com.

Please use the following links to access detailed information:

62nd Genoa International Boat Show - Invitation Letter.pdf

62nd Genoa Boat Show_Meet the Buyers_P.pdf

Yours sincerely,
HKBIA

Dear Members,

Please find the response from the Marine Department in regards to the latest Covid-19 Restrictions:

Summary provided by Ince (HK):

Private boats have to comply with the two household rule, although the crew employed on those boats are exempt from that rule and can be onboard at the same time as the household(s) under the exemption prescribed at Cap. 599G.  

But any pleasure vessels let for hire are currently banned from operation under Cap. 599F. 

Original letter from HKBIA:

Please refer to the link below:

Government Notice.pdf

Dear Members,

Please refer to the following letter that has been sent to Mrs Carrie Lam and the Food and Health Bureau to request the government to exempt Captain/Crew from the latest Covid-19 regulations.

Privately owned Class IV vessels are classified as “private spaces”. As they are not “public spaces”, the group gathering regulation (Cap. 599G) does not apply.

Class IV Charter Boats that are hired for social gatherings are classified as “Party Rooms”. 

SCENARIO

QUESTION:

"I wonder if you can help by advising what the situation is if you have two
paid crew on a pleasure boat.  If they are working legally on the boat do
they count as a "household each " ? Or are they looked upon as the hired
help and you can still have two "households" on board ?"

ANSWER:

Anyone not ordinarily living in the same household will be considered
separately and so in your scenario you would have:
- two paid crew (if they lived together then they would be one household or
if living separately, they would be two households)
- one family (one household)
- one family (one household)
Thus in this case a 599G s.8E breach would be committed (there are at least
three households here).

It would not matter that the crew work for the family that owns the boat if
they would not ordinarily live together under the same roof.
Exemptions include where multiple families live together under the same
roof and also 'Carers' of persons in particular need etc are also exempt.

The 'multi-household' offence states that :
(1)       If  a prohibited multi-household gathering takes place, each of the
  following          persons          commits         an         offence:-

      (a) a person who participates in the gathering;
      (b) a person who organizes the gathering;
      (c) a person who: -
         (i) owns, controls or operates the premises at which the gathering
takes place; and
         (ii) knowingly allows the taking place of the gathering.

(2)      The offender is liable on conviction to a fine at level 4 (HK$25,000)
  and   to   imprisonment  for  6  months  (however,  under  (a),  persons
  participating in the gathering may be subject to a Fixed Penalty of HK
  $5,000 instead).

Subsidy Scheme for Beauty Parlours, Massage Establishments and Party Rooms 2022 application arrangements (CHARTER BOATS)

*****************************************************************************

     Pursuant to the earlier announcement to launch the fifth round of the Anti-epidemic Fund (Fund) to provide a one-off subsidy to business premises which have been directed to suspend business operations since January 7, 2022, the Government will launch the Subsidy Scheme for Beauty Parlours, Massage Establishments and Party Rooms 2022 (the Scheme).

     As multiple types and a great number of business premises will be covered under the Scheme, in line with the arrangement in the previous three rounds, a dedicated website (bmpsubsidy.gov.hk) will be set up to receive applications. The online application system will facilitate submission of applications by concerned operators and efficient processing of applications and disbursement of subsidies.
 
     The Scheme Secretariat is now pressing ahead with the preparatory work. Applications under the Scheme will open on February 7 (Monday).
 
     The application arrangements of the Scheme are as follows:

Beneficiaries
 
     Beauty parlours, massage establishments and party rooms (including local pleasure vessels let for hire or reward (pleasure vessels)) that have suspended operations since January 7 pursuant to the closure order issued by the Government under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) will be eligible for the Scheme. The Scheme is also applicable to beauty parlours, massage establishments and party rooms operated by social enterprises (SEs).

Subsidy amount
 
     Each eligible beauty parlour or massage establishment will receive a one-off subsidy depending on its number of workers:
 

Number of workers	Subsidy amount
1 to 2 workers	$15,000
3 to 4 workers	$30,000
5 or more workers	$50,000

 
     The maximum subsidy amount for beauty parlour or massage establishment chain stores operated by a single entity under the same business registration is $1.5 million.
 
     Each eligible party room or pleasure vessel will receive a one-off subsidy of $20,000.

Application period
 
     The online application system will commence operation at 9am on February 7 (Monday). The deadline for application is 11.59pm on February 20 (Sunday).

Application methods
 

• Beauty parlours, massage establishments and party rooms with a business registration should file their applications through the Scheme's dedicated online application website (bmpsubsidy.gov.hk) within the application period.
• SE operators of beauty parlours, massage establishments and party rooms without a business registration should submit their applications via the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.
• Owners of pleasure vessels do not need to use the online application system to file an application. The Marine Department will issue a notification letter to the owners of all eligible pleasure vessels owners by late January. The Department will handle the relevant procedures and the disbursement of the subsidy. 

Information and enquiries
 
     A dedicated telephone hotline (1836 188) and email (info@bmpsubsidy.hk) will commence operation at 9am on January 26 (Wednesday) to handle enquiries on the details of the Scheme. Information on the Scheme will also be available at the hotline's voice response system from 2pm on January 24 (Monday).

Disbursement of subsidy
 
     The Scheme is expected to benefit about 13 000 eligible premises (including pleasure vessels). A sum of $318 million has been earmarked under the Fund for the Scheme. The Scheme Secretariat will give priority to the processing of applications from successful applicants in the previous three rounds of the Scheme, with a view of disbursing the subsidy from mid-February onwards.

 

Ends/Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Issued at HKT 18:35

Howden Group has purchased the business portfolio of Hong Kong-based Expat Marine Ltd., well known in yachting circles thanks to its principals, Peter McTavish and Colin Dawson. Howden Group is a UK-based broking house with operations in 45 territories and over 9000 employees. The transfer took effect as of December 1, 2021. The deal for Expat was agreed and signed with Howden Insurance Brokers (HK) Limited, part of Howden Group Holdings and which has been in Hong Kong since 1994.

Dawson, who has partnered with Expat Marine for the past 12 years handling Expat’s yacht insurance business of over 250 yacht clients, says that he will continue the partnership with the Howden Group.

Howden Group Holdings is the largest independently owned insurance group in the world, with a large marine business, mostly focused on commercial shipping. Howden worldwide places US$11 billion in premiums to the insurance market each year. Dawson says that this will “make it easier when discussing risks with insurers.”

“This partnership will allow us to benefit from Howden’s reach in the market, have access to insurers we previously didn’t have and join with a network of Howden offices, enabling us to improve our offering to clients. It also allows teams at Howden to access my 25 year’s specialist experience with yacht insurance, assisting them give greater value to their clients,” Dawson said of the new tie up.

Dawson and his team’s contact details will remain the same while Expat merges into the Howden group. Dawson stressed that day-to-day operations will not change. He added that he expects to be able to offer even better service to his clientele.

“With a broader reach, I am confident this change will allow us to present a more complete package to yacht owners and the surrounding yacht industry, allowing us to offer better value to them,” Dawson said, adding that he hoped to offer “better and more stable programmes” for his clients in what is now a very difficult yacht insurance market.

Dawson said that the Howden Group has a large office in London and has three other recent acquisitions in the UK and the South of France that specialise in insurance for yachts of all sizes. The company was founded in 1994 and has become one of Europe’s largest insurance broking businesses.

www.howdenhk.com

www.expathk.com/marine