Opinion | Keep Hong Kong seas safe and open

The Lamma ferry tragedy should be an occasion not just for looking at maritime safety but for planning the better use of Hong Kong's waters for commercial and recreational purposes. Maximising their safe use is an issue that goes beyond the remit of the Marine Department, which has acquitted itself well over the years and can claim credit for the relatively low accident rate seen until now.

These are issues that involve the lands, transport, environment and agriculture and fisheries departments, or their supervising bureaus, the Marine Police and others. The apparent lack of overall planning is a consequence of the division of authority between these departments, each in a silo responding to its own problems.

I sail Hong Kong waters almost every week - and was on a sailing boat close to Lamma at the time of the tragedy. That accident may well prove one of those human errors against which no rules or systems can prevail. However, what is evident, particularly from sailing off Sai Kung this past summer, is the increase in the number of craft which take no notice of speed limits or even the basic rules of seamanship.

Owners of fast and fancy-looking vessels seem as immune from prosecution as the Bentley and Lexus owners whose illegal parking in Central is tolerated. Jet-skiers, who, unlike those in charge of slower craft, are not required to have licences, zoom around treating the waters as a fairground. Ditto some operators of speedboats towing water skiers. In recent years, there have been several deaths and injuries caused by small high-speed craft not seeing swimmers and divers.

Given that Hong Kong's large and beautiful coastline offers unique recreational opportunities for locals and visitors alike, the number of pleasure craft of all descriptions is sure to increase. The one category sure to diminish is commercial fishing vessels. This will free up typhoon shelter space for other vessels. Hong Kong does not need more container facilities as nearby mainland ports with greater access to land and transport continue to expand. But it has failed to develop a coherent policy for its typhoon shelters and redundant cargo handling areas and revitalise facilities to reflect changes in demand. The comparison with Sydney's success in turning its old dock areas into a mix of tourist attraction, restaurants, offices and boating facilities is stark.

Some harbour development disasters cannot now be undone: excessive reclamation, particularly between Central and west Kowloon, which has overcrowded the sea lanes; and the Kai Tak cruise terminal now under construction which has scant commercial justification. Meanwhile, the Chai Wan cargo handling basin has long been ripe for redevelopment but remains an eyesore. It is not clear what plans may exist for freeing up space in the Shau Kei Wan, Aberdeen and other typhoon shelters no longer needed for commercial fishing boats. Hidden from almost everyone's view is the barely used 77-hectare typhoon shelter on Hei Ling Chau. Meanwhile, in Aberdeen itself, boat repair facilities are being progressively sacrificed to the interests of the developers wanting harbourside sites for luxury housing.