Owners of an excavation, which has been stranded off Lamma Island all yearhave been ordered to speed up their rescue plan after failing to remove the ship by an earlier deadline set for April.
The 50-year-old Sea Diamond, a derelict suction dredger, remains partially submerged at Ha Mei Wan, a rural beach on Lamma Island.
A spokesman for the Department of the Navy (MD) said on Thursday it had been in contact with the owners, who “had previously attempted to recover the vessel by removing the superstructure and pumping water from flooded compartments in an attempt to remove the vessel”.
“However, progress has been delayed due to heavy rainfall at times in recent weeks. In addition, the damage to its hull was found to be more severe than expected, which has complicated the salvage operation. The MoD is requesting the ship’s owner to speed up the salvage process and remove the ship as soon as possible,” the spokesperson added.
Dredges are used as underwater excavators, cutting and sucking material from the seabed before discharging it through pipelines.
The old Sea Diamond was built in Singapore in 1976. It is unclear who the current owner is.
The department said the owners had already breached the Transport and Port Control Ordinance, risking a HK$10,000 fine, after they failed to report the incident within 24 hours. Legal proceedings are ongoing.
The MD said there were no reports of oil leaks or hazardous materials seeping into the ocean. However, “the vessel owner placed an oil containment boom around the vessel as a precautionary measure as requested” by the department.
According to the Hong Kong Port and Shipping Control Ordinance, if the stricken vessels are not removed by the owner, the Marine Department will make arrangements and cover the costs from the owner.
HKFP has contacted Islands District Councilor Lau Shun-ting for comment.
