The Marine Department is taking steps to reduce smoke emissions from marine vessels, Secretary for Economic Development & Labour Stephen Ip says.

In October, 2005, it adopted the Ringelmann Chart as an objective standard for gauging smoke emissions from vessels. This chart is a series of shaded illustrations used to measure the opacity of air-pollution emissions, and serves in setting and enforcing emission standards.

Mr Ip told legislators today the department also monitors vessels' exhaust and conducts spot checks on vessels within Hong Kong waters. If there is sufficient evidence of excessive smoke emission, it will initiate prosecution under the Shipping & Port Control Ordinance.

On the legal means to stem vessels' pollutant emission, Mr Ip noted three pieces of subsidiary legislation to be made under the Merchant Shipping (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Ordinance will be gazetted for introduction into the Legislative Council in the first half of next year.

He added marine vessels contributed 6% of all particulates emissions, 4%  of sulphur dioxide, 17% of nitrogen oxides and 0.7% of volatile organic compounds emissions in Hong Kong.