Resolution A.978(24)

AMENDMENTS TO THE EXISTING MANDATORY SHIP REPORTING SYSTEM "IN THE GREAT BELT TRAFFIC AREA"

(Adopted on 1 December 2005)

THE ASSEMBLY,

RECALLING Article 15(j) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Assembly in relation to regulations and guidelines concerning maritime safety, and the prevention and control of marine pollution from ships,

RECALLING FURTHER resolution A.858(20) by which the Assembly, recognizing the need for an expeditious adoption and amendment procedure for the adoption and amendments of traffic separation schemes, routeing measures other than traffic separation schemes, including designation and substitution of archipelagic sea lanes, and ship reporting systems for the purposes of the International Regulation for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972, resolved that the function of adopting traffic separation schemes, routeing measures other than traffic separation schemes, including designation and substitution of archipelagic sea lanes, and ship reporting systems shall be performed by the Maritime Safety Committee on behalf of the Organization,

RECALLING ALSO that the mandatory ship reporting system "In the Great Belt Traffic Area" had been adopted on 3 December 1996 by resolution MSC.63(67), annex 1,

NOTING the urgent need to implement amendments to the existing ship reporting system "In the Great Belt Traffic Area" to improve safety of navigation in the area concerned,

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the guidelines and criteria for ship reporting systems adopted by resolution MSC.43(64), as amended by resolutions MSC. 111(73) and MSC. 189(79),

HAVING CONSIDERED the report of the Maritime Safety Committee at its eightieth session and the recommendations of the Sub-Committee on Safety of Navigation at its fifty-first session,

1. ADOPTS, in accordance with SOLAS regulation V/ll, amendments to the existing mandatory ship reporting system "In the Great Belt Traffic Area", as set out in the annex to the present resolution;

2. DECIDES that the said amendments will enter into force at 0000 hours UTC on 1 July 2006;

3. REQUESTS the Secretariat to issue, as soon as possible, the relevant SN circular containing the amendments to the aforementioned mandatory ship reporting system.

Annex.

AMENDMENTS TO THE EXISTING MANDATORY SHIP REPORTING SYSTEM "IN THE GREAT BELT TRAFFIC AREA"

Amend sub-section 2.2 to read as follows:

2.2 The reference charts are Danish charts Nos.141 (17 edition), 142 (14 edition) and 143 (15 edition) (Datum: World Geodetic System 1984, WGS-84), which provide large-scale coverage of the VTS area.

Amend sub-section 3.3 to read as follows:

3.3 Position for submitting reports

3.3.1 Ships shall submit their reports when entering the VTS area defined by the following reporting lines, which are also identical to the boundaries of the VTS area:

Southbound ships: When passing latitude 55°35'.00 N.

Northbound ships: When passing a line connecting the following points:

Add a new sub-section 3.3.2 as follows: