Maiden voyage of southbound yachts from Guangdong realises two-way navigation for Guangdong-Hong Kong individual yacht travel

The maiden voyage ceremony of southbound yachts from Guangdong was held today (October 16),marking the official implementation of the scheme. The Acting Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong; the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan; and the Director of Marine, Mr Wong Sai-fat, officiated at the ceremony to welcome five visiting yachts from Guangdong.

In his speech at the ceremony, the Acting Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, said that Hong Kong is actively developing into a yachting hub in Asia. He noted that the global yacht market has continued to grow in recent years, with the luxury yacht market in particular experiencing significant expansion. He added that the market value of the superyacht industry is projected to reach approximately $350 billion by 2032, representing a massive scale. He believed that Hong Kong has the potential, capability, and strength to secure a share of this market.

He said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is proactively implementing various measures to promote the yacht economy, including the three measures introduced by the Marine Department in June to facilitate yachts to visit Hong Kong. He also mentioned that The Festival of Connoisseurs, an international flagship exhibition focusing on superyachts and premium lifestyles, will be held in Hong Kong in early November. He added that the Government is fully committed to promoting the construction of four new yacht clubs at the airport, Lamma Island, Aberdeen, and Hung Hom respectively, which will provide a total of more than 1 100 berths and four highly attractive new clubhouse facilities. It is expected that these facilities will significantly enhance and improve Hong Kong’s infrastructure and ecosystem in the yachting economy.

Following the launch of northbound travel of yachts from Hong Kong in June this year,and the signing of the relevant work arrangements between Guangdong and Hong Kong in September to establish an institutionalised mechanism for cross-boundary individual yacht travel between Guangdong and Hong Kong, the Governments of the two places have further implemented the southbound travel of yachts from Guangdong, enabling yacht owners in Guangdong to handle cross-boundary procedures more conveniently, thereby promoting greater connectivity between the two places in cross-boundary navigation networks and the marine leisure industry.

Under the framework of the southbound travel of yachts from Guangdong, all Guangdong-registered yachts that meet the requirements of a navigation range of up to 20 nautical miles offshore and a wave resistance capability of not less than 2 metres may apply to visit Hong Kong. Yacht owners/masters intending to travel southbound may complete the procedures online in advance and must complete the relevant Chinese Mainland departure inspection formalities at the six designated control points (namely the Nansha Ferry Terminal in Guangzhou, Shekou Cruise Homeport in Shenzhen, Shenzhen Airport Ferry Terminal, Jiuzhou Port Passenger Terminal in Zhuhai, Wanshan Port in Zhuhai, and Sunsea Yacht Club Marina, Zhongshan Port).

The Marine Department launched three facilitation measures in June, which include enhancing the Electronic Business System to allow one-stop online completion of arrival and port formalities, setting up designated anchorage areas and relaxing the requirements of booking a berth at a yacht club before arriving in Hong Kong, as well as authorising ChineseMainland institutions to conduct the Hong Kong Waters Local Knowledge Examination and provide training for yacht masters prior to arrival in Hong Kong. These facilitation measures also apply to overseas yachts. Owners/masters of visiting yachts may apply through the Electronic Business System for Permission to Navigate in Hong Kong Waters as early as 30 days before arrival, and book an anchoring location. Details of the procedures and relevant information for Guangdong-registered yachts travelling southbound to Hong Kong are set out in the Appendix.

The Marine Department has authorised two Mainland examination centres to conduct the Hong Kong Waters Local Knowledge Examination, and has approved seven Mainland training institutions to offer recognised training courses. To date, the department received an enthusiastic response with nearly 300 people having already obtained the relevant qualification. The Marine Department will also recognise online short-term training courses organised by local professional training and examination institutions in order to facilitate masters of visiting yachts in obtaining the qualification to navigate in Hong Kong waters while overseas.

The implementation of the southbound travel of yachts from Guangdong and the relevant cross-boundary facilitation measures for yachts will help attract more yachts from the Greater Bay Area and around the world to visit Hong Kong, injecting new impetus into the tourism industry and the yacht market, bringing new growth opportunities and driving the development of related industries. The Government will continue to monitor the development of visiting yachts and make timely adjustments to the implementation of the various facilitation measures.

FEHD releases second batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in October

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (October 16) released the second batch of gravidtrap indexes and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in October, covering 29 survey areas, as follows:

The FEHD continues to carry out a series of mosquito prevention and elimination measures, including:

• interdepartmental collaboration: convening special meetings of the interdepartmental task forces on anti-mosquito work to co-ordinate relevant departments and stakeholders (such as construction site contractors, schools and property management companies) in strengthening mosquito control work at venues;
• precise risk assessments: carrying out intensive and targeted mosquito control work at locations with more serious mosquito infestations, including stepping up inspections, eliminating mosquito breeding and potential breeding grounds, applying larvicides, conducting fogging operations to eradicate adult mosquitoes, and placing mosquito trapping devices at appropriate locations;
• promotion and education: organising exhibitions with relevant departments and stakeholders, and distributing leaflets and posters to enhance public awareness of mosquito control and prevention; and
• rapid alert mechanism: notifying residential estates that have subscribed to the gravidtrap Rapid Alert System, and advising property management companies and residents to stay vigilant and work together in taking mosquito prevention and elimination measures.

During the follow-up actions and following the discovery of stagnant water at a private housing estatein Sha Tin District, the FEHD has issued a statutory notice to the responsible person-in-charge, requiring the clearance of such stagnant water within a specified timeframe.

Public participation is crucial to the effective control of mosquito problems. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to work together in strengthening personal mosquito control measures, including:

• tidying up their premises and checking for any accumulation of water inside the premises;
• removing all unnecessary water collections and eliminating the sources;
• checking household items (those placed in outdoor and open areas in particular), such as refuse containers, vases, air conditioner drip trays, and laundry racks to prevent stagnant water;
• changing water in flower vases and scrubbing their inner surfaces thoroughly, and removing water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week;
• properly covering all containers that hold water to prevent mosquitoes from accessing the water;
• properly disposing of articles that can contain water, such as disposable meal boxes and empty cans; and
• scrubbing drains and surface sewers with alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.

Starting in August 2025, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD has been disseminating relevant information through press releases, its website and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of chikungunya fever (CF) transmission.

Following recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 62 survey areas of the community, with a surveillance period of two weeks. During the surveillance period, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks of surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The Gravidtrap and Density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas, as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures, are available on the department’s webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#).